Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week, and I couldn’t be more excited about what God is about to do than I was on the first day I Believed. With a Heart Inclined toward the King of all kings and with eyes and ears focused on my Instruction Manual for Life, I can’t go wrong…AND I can’t contain my excitement. My Heart overflows with Gratitude after a good talkin’ to by the Commander-in-Chief of my life. If I want to be all that I can be in Jesus’ Name, then I need to be willing to be Corrected by the King whenever He sees that it’s necessary for me. Isn’t that what all good Warriors do? I don’t have all the answers when it comes to God, that’s for sure, but it’s not for the lack of Searching for them. I’m with Him for the Long Run…I’m ALL in…and nothing will stop me from ALL that He has for me while I’m still here…as long as I don’t let it, that is. So, I seek His Will each day, and I dig a little deeper into His Word for more Truth and Wisdom, and I’m more excited than ever for how He’ll use me for His Will in the days ahead…IF I’m READY AND WILLING, that is.

A long time ago, many people followed Jesus, and they were eyewitnesses to some amazing miracles. They saw Him feed thousands of people by multiplying a little bread and a few fish, they saw Him walking on water, and they saw Him heal the sick and raise the dead. They saw Him do so many things NO MAN could ever do in the flesh! But as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue one day, explaining that He IS the “bread of life,” many of those disciples said, “This is a hard teaching – who can accept it?” and they walked away from the Miracle Maker. In other words, when it was time to add Knowledge to the “sizzle” of their belief, even the eyewitnesses of some of the most amazing Miracles decided that the Teaching was too “hard” and they went from disciples to deserters, apparently without blinking an eye.

The circumstances are different, and it’s thousands of years since those disciples deserted the Miracle Maker, but people are STILL going from “disciple to deserter” today without blinking an eye when they think the teachings are “too hard.” Maybe they don’t realize that when it comes to the Living God, you’re either ALL IN or you’re ALL OUT. They don’t understand you’re either FOR Him or you’re AGAINST Him. There’s no room for wishy-washy commitments and no excuse for ignoring His Word…even IF it’s a tough pill to swallow sometimes. It’s very sad to think about how many Believers will be surprised One Day when God sees them as DESERTERS instead of disciples, all because they thought the teachings were “too hard” for their liking and they refused to share with the lost world because of it.

I don’t understand every single thing about His Teachings, and some of them DO look “too hard” when you view them from the surface, as those disciples did. But we can’t Learn (or accept) if we rely on our opinion of what’s “too hard” – it takes an Unshakeable Faith and a faithful Heart to pull that off! From where I sit, the disciples had more intellect than Faith, and they couldn’t fathom embracing the Whole Truth of His Teachings because of it…and the SAME IS TRUE TODAY. Countless people refuse to be ALL IN because they’re too busy trying to rationalize the Living God, and so “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” Things won’t turn out well for those folks One Day.

I won’t reach “perfection” until He takes me Home, and (unfortunately) I stumble often. But when I stumble, I know where to go to get my feet back on Solid Ground, and I quickly ask for Forgiveness for not obeying His teachings…even IF they’re hard. With Him all things are possible, and when I’m weak, HE IS STRONG. So, instead of copping out with “it’s too hard,” I dig deep to find out the hows and whys for my stumble, and I work hard to keep it from ever happening again – and each time those “hard teachings” become clearer and easier to accept. Though I stumble from time to time, I will NEVER be seen as a “deserter,” and I won’t be found trying to rewrite Teachings because they’re “too hard,” like the world does.

How about you?

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”