Jennifer A

It’s important for us to recognize that God states “I am the LORD” four times and “I will” seven times in today’s passage. Here’s a breakdown of what God said, of where He said it, and we will dig deeper into why He said it:

“I am the LORD” – Verse 2
“I am the LORD” – Verse 6
“I am the LORD” – Verse 7
“I am the LORD” – Verse 8

“I will free you” – Verse 6
“I will rescue you” – Verse 6
“I will redeem you” – Verse 6
“I will claim you as my own people” – Verse 7
“I will be your God” – Verse 7
“I will bring you into the land” – Verse 8
“I will give it to you” – Verse 8

When God said “I am the LORD” four times, He was claiming His eternal authority over all of heaven and earth, and especially in comparison to Pharaoh’s momentary earthly power over the Israelites as they were still being held in captivity as slaves when God spoke this message to Moses.

God goes on to say “I will” seven times, and these were not mere statements, they were covenant calls to action. God was telling Israel, through Moses, that He was going to fulfill His divine plan by upholding His covenant promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to their descendants (Israel). God was telling the Israelites that He will free them from the Egyptians, He will rescue them from slavery, He will redeem them, He will claim them as His people, He will be their God, He will bring them to the land of Canaan, and He will give the land to them.

In verse 9, we see that the Israelites were too discouraged and focused on their immediate circumstances in bondage to receive from Moses God’s message of faithful hope through redemption.

Friends, we need to grab a hold of the freedom we have in Christ at all times. By our faith, this freedom must be active. When we are wholeheartedly and actively trusting God, we can see His promises. We cannot allow this world or our circumstances to turn off our active trust in God. No matter what is happening, God’s message of faithful hope through the redemption we have in Christ Jesus is never changing and ETERNAL. We ARE freed, rescued, redeemed, claimed as God’s people, and He is our God. We CANNOT fall into verse 9, because we do not want to miss all of the freedom that God has for us.

Exodus 6:2-9 (NLT)

2 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh— ‘the Lord.’ 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai— ‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4 And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5 You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”

9 So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the great I AM, and we bow our hearts to Your authority. Holy Spirit, please continue to lift our spirits when our circumstances are heavy and we feel discouraged. Please bring to our remembrance, Your unchanging promises, hope, and eternal love. As we stand in our freedom that can only be found in You, Jesus, we want to grow in our faith and oneness with You. Thank You for being our God and for guiding us today to share Your love with someone else. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

This is our third devotion, in a row, where we acknowledge and celebrate the Light of Christ.

Image it’s sometime in the fall, around AD 29, and you are in Jerusalem preparing to celebrate Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. You are in the temple court attending a nightly ceremony where lots of lamps light up the temple complex. The lamps are placed as a reminder of God’s guidance during Israel’s wilderness journey and the pillar of fire that led God’s people by night (Exodus 13:21). As you are gazing at the bright lights you hear, see, and experience Jesus’ teaching in the treasury, a large public courtyard within the temple complex where men and women gather, and Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

It is Jesus’ statement about being the light of the world that is where we find our true freedom in Christ. Our freedom is not the absence of darkness, rather it is in the very presence of Jesus, and allowing His light to be at the center of absolutely every aspect, place, and moment of our lives. When we chose to follow Jesus, we chose to allow His light to guide our path, even when it’s hard, even when we cannot understand it, and even when it is costly.

In this passage, we see that Jesus affirms His authority in response to the Pharisees by connecting Himself to the Father as One. Just as the Pharisees could not see that Jesus was God’s Son, many do not know Jesus now. We must pray for the Light of the world, Jesus, to be revealed to hearts, because those who do not follow Him will remain in darkness. The Light of the world, Jesus, leads us into eternal life with Him.

John 8:12-20 (NLT)

Jesus, the Light of the World

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked.

Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

Prayer: Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for shining into the dark places of this world. We want to continue to follow You, so please allow the Holy Spirit to light the path that You have for us. Help us to center our lives in You. We pray for those who do not know You, Jesus. Please soften their hearts, open their spiritual ears, and eyes to see You, the One Who is Truth and the Light of the world. We love You, Jesus, and ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

The first verse of yesterday’s passage reminded us that God’s Word is a lamp to guide our steps, and His light illuminates the righteous path that He has planned for us (Ps. 119:105). In today’s passage, Paul reminds us that as believers, Jesus’ light shines in our hearts. Unfortunately, unbelievers struggle to see Jesus, Who is the glorious light of the Good News.

Paul goes on to describe believers as “jars of clay” who carry the treasure of the Good News. As God’s jars of clay, we were created to withstand the pressures and darkness of this world. But that cannot happen apart from Jesus. The freedom that we have in Jesus, means that we are jars that contain God’s powerful light, and that light shines brightly because of our faithful endurance to the One Who is the Light of the World, Christ Jesus. All glory for this treasure needs to be given to Jesus.

Friends, I started a new book for one of my classes, anonymous, by alicia britt chole. I did not capitalize the title or the author’s name, and that is because both are not capitalized in the book. I have read quite a bit so far, and this is another book that I absolutely love. I am sure that I will share more with you over the week, but for now a quote from one of the author’s mentors resonated with me as I was reading our passage for today’s devotion. Chole’s mentor said, “I feel that trials do not prepare us for what’s to come as much as they reveal what we’ve done with our lives up to this point.”

Today, we have a choice to fully live in the freedom of Christ, and to walk along the path that the Holy Spirit is illuminating for us, or we can choose to walk alone in the darkness of this world. Either way, we need to remember that our choices are built on one another. Our greatest freedom is that our newly created lives point to Jesus, because we are building our new lives on Him, the Cornerstone of our faith and existence. We want to make sure that our lives, even during the trials of life, reveal Christ’s life, light, and love. Our lives should always point to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 (NLT)

Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for allowing Your light to shine in our hearts. We are Your jars of clay, and apart from You, we are weak. Holy Spirit, please continue to fill us with Your light, and help us walk in the freedom of Your love. We want to choose You, Jesus, over darkness. So, during life’s trials and times when we are weak, please release Your life and power in and all around us. We want all that we endure to point to You, our Cornerstone, and eternal glory. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Most of you may know that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, it contains 176 verses, those verses are divided into 22 stanzas, and each stanza is titled with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

The title of today’s passage is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Nun, which generally signifies life, faithfulness, or humble perseverance. This letter fits perfectly into our devotionals and Bible study from last week. The freedom that we have in Christ allows us to connect to God’s Word, which by our faithfulness, is a lamp that guides the divine path that God has for each one of our lives.

On Friday, I finished up Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero. Chapter 8 – Go the Next Step to Develop a ‘Rule of Life’, Loving Christ Above All Else, which is the final chapter that invites believers to do exactly what the title says, “develop a Rule of Life”. A Rule of Life is something that we, as believers, humbly and intentionally benefit from creating with God. It’s basically a daily plan that nurtures our oneness with Christ. Scazzero guides us to look at life through four broad categories – Prayer, Rest, Work and Relationships. Under each of these categories is where we place everything within our lives. If we stick to the Rule of Life, it is a framework of spiritual rhythms that help us to remain rooted in Christ in every category and every aspect of our lives. The goal is as we grow emotionally and spiritually more mature in our oneness with Christ, we are freely living our faith in every aspect of life and during every season.

The psalmist guides us to see that the freedom we have in Christ is a daily choice that we have to remain obedient in our faith, and to preserver in humility. In these eight verses, the psalmist wants us to hold onto Truth, to endure in our faithfulness by the fruits of the Spirit, and to steadfastly depend on God in every aspect of our life – which developing and following a Rule of Life can help tremendously.

Psalm 119:105-112 (NLT)

Nun

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again:
I will obey your righteous regulations.
107 I have suffered much, O Lord;
restore my life again as you promised.
108 Lord, accept my offering of praise,
and teach me your regulations.
109 My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying your instructions.
110 The wicked have set their traps for me,
but I will not turn from your commandments.
111 Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart’s delight.
112 I am determined to keep your decrees
to the very end.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your Word that provides us with life and shines a light that guides our faithful walk. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide us by Your wisdom each day as we obediently follow the path You have for us. We want to remain rooted in You, Jesus, as we are guided by Your Truth, and freely live by the fruits of Your Spirit in every season of our lives. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

As many of you know, Pastor Mary has been offering a six-week Bible study series titled, “The Inner Struggle for Holiness – A Focus on Faith, Fruit, Family, and Future”. This Wednesday night was week six of the study and the focus was on “Faithfulness”. During the study we connected faithfulness to obedience, endurance, reliability, trustworthiness, loyalty, and so much more. Today’s passage is a continuation of Wednesday night’s study, as James reminds us that our faith is demonstrated through our actions, inactions, words, and genuinely through our lives.

It is by our faith that we, as believers, should be drawn to true wisdom. James makes sure to reveal that there is a distinct difference between true Godly wisdom and false worldly wisdom. The freedom we have in Christ allows us to receive God’s wisdom through humility, peace, love, gentleness, and it produces honorable living. While worldly wisdom is divisive, it causes bitterness, jealousy, selfishness, pride, lying, and it produces evil living.

The wisdom we have from above is pure. It is the place where our freedom in Christ is birthed. When we choose this freedom, we are filled with God’s mercy and all the fruits of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23. Living by these fruits causes us to be peacemakers who not only plant seeds of peace, but who can have hope in Christ to reap a harvest of His righteousness.

James 3:13-18 (NLT)

True Wisdom Comes from God

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the freedom we have in Christ that leads each one of us into a deeper place of holy wisdom. Holy Spirit, please continue to impart Your wisdom to each of us. We want to have a heart that is in alignment with You as we continue to grow in humility, peace, and mercy. Place a watch over our mouths so that our words reflect You, Jesus. We want to be Your peacemakers who plant seeds of Your righteousness so that lives grow in faith and honor You, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Earlier this week I mentioned that I’m finishing up, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero, as it’s a required book for one of my college courses. In Chapter 7, Grow into an Emotionally Mature Adult, Learning New Skills to Love Well, Scazzero reminds his readers that “Jesus refused to separate the practice of the presence of God from the practice of the presence of people.” Even when a Pharisee, who knew the Mosaic Law inside and out, tried to trap Jesus by asking Him to identify the greatest commandment, “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)

In today’s passage, John knows that our victory and true freedom come from our faith in Christ Jesus. He restates Jesus’s Greatest Commandment and John wants to make sure that we, as believers, remain rooted in Christ through our obedience that flows through our loving connection to Him and thus our loving connection with others. This place of love should not be a burden on us. Rather, as we grow in our connection to Jesus, we should be quick to respond to our neighbors from a place of love, and less to react from a place of fear, denial, selfishness, defensiveness, etc. If you need to reach out to lovingly apologize to someone for reacting from a place of fear, denial, selfishness, defensiveness, etc., do it today, because Jesus responds to us every single moment of every day from the greatest place of love, and all He asks us is to love others as He loves us.

As believers, we call on the Name of Jesus Christ, Who is the only Son of God, and that also means that we claim, own, and hold firmly to the freedom that we have in Jesus; so, we win the battle against this world. AMEN!

1 John 5:1-5 (NLT)

Faith in the Son of God

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the victory and freedom that each one of us have through our faith in You. Holy Spirit, we ask that You continue to help guide us, by Your wisdom and Truth, so that our roots grow deeper into Your love. We want our obedience to overflow with Your joy, and not to be a burden on us. Please continue to grow us up in You, Jesus, we want to be emotionally and spiritually mature so that we can love You well and share Your love well with others. Strengthen us so that we can keep overcoming the evils of this world, as we are connected to You, Jesus, our Truth. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, we live in world that struggles with equality, justice, and allegiance. The world also struggled in the first century during the time when Jesus gave His Sermon on the Plain as we see in today’s passage. Keep in mind, Judea was under Roman rule, and their political control brought about social, economic, and religious tensions, their miliary had a heavy presence, and their taxes were unimaginable. This environment left the majority of people poor, sick, and in a state of great oppression. The minority were wealthy, powerful, and were thought to hold religious status. Jesus addresses all of this in His Sermon on the Plain, as people from all over Judea came to hear Him and to be healed by Him.

Notice that Jesus is speaking in present and future tense within His sermon. This means that His blessings are for all believers, then, now, and in the future. Those who are blessed are people who claim to belong to Jesus, whose identity, worth, and freedom are found in Him. The blessed find themselves dependent on Jesus, and we are fortunate to be a part of the dependent. When Jesus blesses the poor, hungry, sorrowful, and persecuted, it means He will put an end to all suffering for all eternity for those who claim their freedom in Him. On the other-hand, Jesus also warns those who are rich, self-indulgent, self-sufficient, and self-satisfied. Jesus is not upset with wealth, rather He warns not to allow the things of this world to cause false security, or to take His place. Our allegiance needs to be with Jesus, and nothing should replace the dependance, loyalty, trust, and oneness we have in Him.

Like those who gathered in Judea to hear from Jesus during His Sermon on the Plain, we too want to see Him, to be connected to Him, and to be healed by Him. The freedom we have in Christ allows us to remain dependent on Him and as a result we receive His blessings for all eternity.

Luke 6:17-26 (NLT)

Crowds Follow Jesus

17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

The Beatitudes

20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 God blesses you who are hungry now,
for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Sorrows Foretold

24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.
25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for this Word that reminds us that we have a choice to either live dependent on You or to live dependent on this world. Holy Spirit, we are grateful to choose You and to have true freedom that can only be found in You, Jesus. So, please continue to allow our hearts to connect to You and to not only receive Your freedom, but to share it with others. We do not want to have false security, self-reliance, or to be divided in our allegiance. Continue to guide us to fully trust You, as You help to heal, shape, and keep us rooted in Your Truth. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

As believers, when we turned our lives over to Jesus, through salvation, our decision included leaving our sinful nature behind, fully trusting Jesus, and walking forward in the freedom of the new life that only Jesus could offer us. In Psalm 37, King David reflected as an older man on his life. He could see that God’s grace, mercy, justice, and faithfulness were there for him all along. In this place of mature wisdom, David understood that he did not need to be fearful, anxious, or angry throughout his life. Rather, all he needed was to rest patiently in the freedom he had in Christ, and to trust that God’s grace, mercy, justice, and faithfulness would bring God’s loving righteousness to Him and to all of God’s Family. This same divine revelation that King David had is the same Truth that exists for us as believers. Like David, the freedom we have in Christ releases us from the anxieties, fear, and anger of this world, and as we rest in Christ, in that trusted stillness we can receive what we need from God.

This week I am finishing up, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero. It’s a required book for one of my college courses. In yesterday’s devotion I talked about spending quiet time with the Lord, and that came as a result of Chapter 6 – Discover the Rhythms of the Daily Office and Sabbath. Scazzero encourages believers to incorporate the Daily Office and Sabbath into our weekly routines. The Daily Office is not mentioned by name in the Bible, rather the foundational principle is mentioned throughout Scripture. It’s setting daily time with the Lord. Some call it Divine Office, Fixed Hour of Prayer, Daily Prayer, etc. It’s the principle that David reminds us of in today’s passage, that we are to “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act” (v.7). The Daily Office equips us to stop several times through each day to rest in the Lord, to be silence so we can hear from the Holy Spirit, to be one with Scripture so we can receive Truth, and to commune in prayer with, Jesus, the One Whom we are waiting patiently to act on our behalf. The Sabbath offers us the same, just a longer period of time in oneness with God, the One Whom created us and rested Himself. I am not here to tell you how, when, where, and the length of time you are to do your Daily Offices and/or Sabbath but having incorporated both this past week into my life as a required part of a college course, has actually brought a greater oneness with the Lord.

Psalm 37 (NLT)

A psalm of David.

1 Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

8 Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the freedom that we have in You. Help us to find time each day where we can be still with You. This world is hectic, but You are our peace. We want to be in Your presence, Jesus, where we can rest in You. We trust You with our lives. Please continue to release our fears, anxieties, and anger. We want to patiently wait on You and Your faithful work in and through each one of us, and all around us. Holy Spirit, draw us deeper in oneness with You. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

February 02, 2026

Hi Friends, it’s Jen Auer. Pastor Mary has graciously extended the opportunity for me to write our devotions through Tuesday, February 17, 2026, after which time she will pick back up and begin a Lenten devotional series.

As many of you know, I am back in college at SEU, and part of my studies this week required me to spend some quiet time each day with the Lord. When I say quiet, I mean absolutely no noise or movement so that the Spirit could clear my soul, my mind, will, and emotions, so I could be fully present with the Lord. During my time with the Lord, I kept placing my heart before Him in gratitude for the freedom I now have in Christ. It truly is a miracle that as believers our sins are forgiven by our faith in Christ Jesus, and we are now reconciled with God, our Creator. Every believer is a new creation through their freedom in Christ. This freedom allows us to live in oneness with God as we welcome the guidance of the Holy Spirit to direct us on the path that God has for us. His plan is the highest and best for each one of us.

Through these devotions, I will follow the lectionary, and I will seek for the Holy Spirit to connect us to our Biblical brothers and sisters as we look at their freedom in Christ. We must remember, we are all offered the same freedom in Christ, and when we accept that freedom, we are offered the same Holy Spirit to guide and direct our path. Keep in mind, we are either accepting and welcoming God’s guidance and direction, or we are rejecting it.

Let’s begin with Philemon. We are looking at the entire book of Philemon today, as it is the third shortest book in the Bible with only 1 chapter that contains 335 words. The Apostle Paul is writing to Philemon from prison. Philemon lived in Colossae; he was wealthy and he owned Christian slaves. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon who had escaped and ended up in prison with Paul. We see how Paul wants to send Onesimus back to Philemon upon his releasee, only this time Paul is directing Philmon, by the Holy Spirit, to forgive Onesimus for escaping, and to welcome him back now as a beloved brother in Christ.

We can find ourselves in the position of each of these three men. Like Paul, the freedom we have in Christ directs us to help others see Christ within their lives and within the lives of others. Like Onesimus, the freedom we have in Christ changes who we once were, and we seek for others to accept and welcome that change. Like Philmon, the freedom we have in Christ guides us to choose forgiveness over selfishness, and reconciliation with our brothers and sisters over social pressures. The freedom in Christ within these Biblical brothers, and within ourselves, guides us to sacrificially love and directs us to seek forgiveness that restores relationships. Grab a hold of your precious freedom in Christ today and seek to share it with others.

Philemon (NLT)

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, 2 and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house.

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus

8 That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. 9 But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.

10 I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. 11 Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. 12 I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

13 I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. 15 It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. 16 He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL!

20 Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.

21 I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! 22 One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.

Paul’s Final Greetings

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. 24 So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.

25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the freedom You offer each one of us who call on Your Name. Thank You for opening our spiritual hearts to the Truth that we witness through Paul, Onesimus, and Philmon. May their examples of faith guide us to love more like You, to forgive more like You, and to seek to restore relationships more like You, Jesus. May our lives today, reflect the freedom You have so graciously offered to us, Jesus, so others may be drawn to You. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, as I grow closer to Jesus, I find myself wanting more of the rest that only He can offer me, and it goes far beyond physical rest. In this place of resting in the Lord, my heart needs to be fully connected to Him, as I submit every aspect of my life into His care. I must have faith that He will overshadow my fears, peace that removes my self-control, and trust that He will guide my life.

The writer of today’s passage from Hebrews uses the theme of God’s rest to both warn and encourage believers. Several times throughout the passage, the writer reflects on Psalm 95:7-11 and reminds us that despite hearing God’s voice and experiencing His miraculous provision, Israel did not remain faithful to God, and as a result of their disobedience their hearts grew cold, and they missed out on God’s promised rest.

Today we need to really press into our faith and allow the Word to open our spiritual ears so that we can truly hear God’s voice. We cannot stop at hearing God’s voice; we must respond to Him with open hearts that are willing to walk out His call on our lives.

Hebrews 3:7 – 4:11 (NLT)

7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,

“Today when you hear his voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”

16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

Promised Rest for God’s People

4 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,

“In my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”

even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”

6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:

“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”

8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing us with Your rest. Holy Spirit, please help each one of us to hear Your voice and to respond quickly by faith. We want our hearts to remain soft to Your Word, we want our faith to be obedient, and we want to grow in our trust in You. Your rest and peace are what each of us wants for our lives, both now and for eternity. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.