Have you believed the lie that you "have to have it all together" to meet with God? Well, let me remind you of the story of Zacchaeus. He was that "wee little man" that some of us used to sing about in our childhood Sunday school class. Can't you envision this short-legged-long-robed man running ahead and climbing a tree in order to get a good look at Jesus in the midst of the upcoming crowd? And then can you imagine his surprise when Jesus called him by name saying, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." Wow! Scripture says that Zacchaeus received Jesus into his house with joy. (See Luke 19:1-10 for the full story).These verses also tell us that Zacchaeus was a rich tax-collector. He made his money by over-charging his own people. His lifestyle was full of deception, and not many people liked him, at all. But then there was Jesus, dining with him at his kitchen table! Something beautiful happened in this One-on-one "lunch hour." Jesus, (God in the flesh), spoke to him Face to face, Heart to heart, and the small man came out of this divine interaction magnificently changed. The cords of deception and ropes of selfish living had been severed by the only One who could do it, and he was free! And with this new found freedom, he ran to out of his house to give to the poor and to pay back four times what he owed to those he had cheated. Another wow -- that must have been quite a holy conversation in Zaccheus' kitchen!Do you know that He is also calling you by name? He wants to sit with you and have a very personal conversation with you. You and I both have different cords of sin that keep us in bondage; but take heart, this is the very reason Jesus wants to sit with you. There is no such thing as "having it all together" first. If Jesus were sitting across the table from you right now, He would explain that at the cross, He purchased you with His very own holy blood, a choice-act motivated by His love, and a must-act in order for you to be in His presence. He would go on to say that this Life-for-life transaction covered all your sin, and I mean all of it. He would then encourage you, like He did Zaccheaus, to expose these sins so He can cut these cords and set you free.Let's be today's Zaccheaus. Let's be so intrigued by Jesus that we do something radical in our quest for Him (but maybe not climb a tree!). Then let's hear the Lord personally call us by name. Be delighted and humbled to sit with Him. Feast on His word; engage with his Spirit. Give Him space to speak to you Heart to heart. Believe this: His sacrificial love was the price He paid for you to be His child. The promised Redeemer has come! Let this truth sink in until it changes you. And then run out of your house in freedom, or I should say in our current situation, get on-line, and tell the world about your personal encounter with God.For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Isaiah 55:12-13

About a week ago during one of my quarantine days I was curled up alone in my bed feeling quite pitiful due to a relational spat I was having with a very special someone. (I will not mention names, but bottom line, he took a long drive and I had a big ugly cry). We can both chuckle about it now, but it was no laughing matter then. The most comforting thing about this time was that I knew the Lord was with me, seeing my tears, understanding my heart, entering my mess.In times like this, I have learned to take the ancient Bible stories for face value:--God was with the people of Israel as they crossed the divided Red Sea.--God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace.--God was with David as he ran toward the battle line.--And... God is with me today, right now, this very moment.Do you believe the presence of the Lord is with you? This truth makes ALL the difference. It changes everything! Believe He is with you in the mighty moments and believe that He is with you in the darkest hour. We see this once again in scripture when Paul was put in prison because of the people's dissension; they were ready "to tear him to pieces." In his prison cell, "the night immediately following, the LORD STOOD AT HIS SIDE and said, "Take courage..." (Acts 23:10-11, emphasis mine).Just the way the Lord stood by Paul and so many others in the Bible, he stands by you and me, telling each one of us, especially in this very strange and uncertain time, "Take courage." Believe that He is standing by you, supporting you, comforting you.I choose to believe this truth in my own life-circumstances:--I want to say to my quarantined mother-in-law who just lost her husband of 60 years, "Mev, take courage, He stands by you."--I want to say to my daughter Emmy as she walks into every Covid room on her nursing floor at Vanderbilt, "Emmy Baxter, take courage, He stands by you."--I want to say to my other daughter who sweetly, yet wearily walks into her three-month-old baby's room in the wee hours of the morning to nurse her (again), "Maggie Marie Gilmer, take courage, He stands by you."And I want to say to you, my friend wherever you are in your circumstances, "Take courage, He stands by you.”You are not alone. The God that hung the sun, moon, and stars is in your midst. The Creator that knows your inner most fears is surrounding you with His love. The Savior that came out of the tomb is alive and well within you through His spirit. Talk to Him. Give Him all your worries. Ask for help. Thank Him for His strong support. Trust Him with all your heart, even if it's your darkest hour.Yes, take courage today, because the Almighty God, who is also your closest companion, is standing in your midst.Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me. Psalm 73:23-24

We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

For much of my young adult life I can compare my journey of faith to someone who is running on a treadmill; however, the treadmill itself is not turned on. This one factor, of course, creates a completely unnecessary struggle. To compare this thought to my spiritual life years ago, it was as if I was operating from a value that was (is) indeed true, but it was out of order. I would say, step by legalistic step: "I love God, I love God, I love God...", and trudge obediently through God's commandments in order to to earn something that was actually already mine. It wasn't until I fully understood that God loved me first, that the treadmill of my faith flipped on. The moment this happened, I began running in freedom, saying to myself, "God loves me! God loves me! God loves me!"....And then from this reality, the next flowing words to the world, "God love you! God loves you! God loves you!"It's hard for me to say it better than God, so as you read these verses, allow the Lord to speak to your heart with His pursuing love. HE is the Initiator of your relationship!Here is His love letter:"He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me." Psalm 18:16-19 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" Jeremiah 31:3 "I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1 Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you...". John 15:16 And Jesus prayed... I ask "that they may all be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You sent Me." John 17:20-21 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take eat; this is My body.” Matthew 26:26 God knew what it would take for us to be in a holy relationship with Him--the sacrifice of His perfect Son--His life for ours. It was God's idea; He initiated it, and then followed through with it. Jesus came for us! It was His steadfast love that drove Him forward for your sake and mine.Today, as we are in the midst of Holy Week as well as a pandemic, take time to thank the Lord for His pursuit. Believe, even in the midst of this chaotic time, that what He has to offer you is indestructible.Allow Him to "turn your treadmill on" as He whispers these holy and personal words to your heart, "I love you! I love you! I love you...first!"Now, run to the world.God, You are the Initiator, Thank you! I am humbled by Your pursuit. I have done nothing to deserve it, yet You still came. Continue to chase me when I wander; catch me, hold me. Please keep me secure as You have promised. Again, thank You for the Origin of love that started in heaven then passed through hell to get to me. Amen.

My daughter Emmy just started her first job as a registered nurse this past October. Little did she know that several months later, her floor would be designated as one of the two COVID floors in her hospital; however, God knew it. I am confident He is with her each time she enters a patient's room.Because Emmy lives with Mac and me, she is somewhat quarantined to the upstairs for now. (We practice social distancing at the stairwell often). We decided that I would bring her things to eat and drink so that she would not have to enter the kitchen. Because of this routine, I wash, rinse, and dry my hands multiple times throughout the day.I bet your hand-washing has increased in the last few weeks as well.With this health-conscious activity that is already going on in your home, I invite you to accept this simple yet powerful challenge: while washing your hands for the recommended 20 seconds...pray.Let's utilize this time standing still at the sink for the greater good. As your hands are underneath running water, you have the ability to say words to an all powerful God that will go beyond the walls of your home. It's your way, and my way, of contributing to both the care of our spiritual hearts and also the defeat of this physical virus. While others are on the frontline, we can be their strong support through prayer.Because God is lovingly concerned about our deepest issue, which is the condition of our heart, let's start our twenty-second-praying there. He says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9). So let's pray these three things:

1. Pray for your own heart. Ask God to change anything in your heart that needs refining. How do you want to be different when all this is over? Ask Him to draw you closer to Him, to make you more like Him in thought, word, and deed. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10.
2. Pray for the hearts of your loved ones. Again, ask the Lord to change anything in your loved one's hearts that needs redirecting. Pray for them to know the Lord Jesus; ask Him to give them true life, peace, and provision during this hard time. I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their whole heart. Jeremiah 24:7
3. Pray for the Lord to change the direction of this virus. God is all powerful. God is able. Tell Him. Praise Him. Claim Him. And then ask Him to do His mighty work. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. Psalm 33:8-9.

Choose to pray as your stand still for twenty seconds at the sink. Do this seven times in a row, and it will become a habit, right? I'm doing it now, and it is a game changer for me. I feel like I'm actually contributing something in this battle!Believe these short meaningful prayers will have profound implications for you, for those you love, and for the world. Become a prayer warrior because the people on the frontline need you, and so do the patients. Commit; persevere; fight the good fight. Remember, you are talking to Almighty God several times a day... He's listening ....He's responding .... believe you are making a difference...because you are.

I want to share a post I wrote for an on-line ministry called Soul Sisters. If you think you would like this type of a daily devotional and a community of women of faith, I invite you to join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/752566431555141/?ref=shareWednesday, March 18God of WondersOh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. 1 Chronicles 16:8-9Heartbeat of God, page 155In our header verse God gives us some instructions to follow concerning His wonderful works:we are to give thanks,we are to call upon His name,we are to make known His deeds,we are to sing praises, andwe are to speak of all His wonders.Today, let's simply obey His word. Instead of allowing our minds to enter into and dwell on this current world-wide panic, let's stop and refocus our gaze on the Lord. What are things in His creation (or in your own personal life) that you consider a wonderful work of God? The list is limitless for both of us. Here are a few topics to get your mind going:a wonder in His vast creationa wonder in a miraculous healinga wonder in a "chance" meetinga wonder in a person's unique giftinga wonder in a new believer.After lots of thinking, I have picked the wonder of God's...sunrise.Since the beginning of creation, the sun has "risen in the east and set in the west." The radiance and consistency of God's sun declares His beautiful faithfulness on the behalf of His people.The thing is, when we stop and consider the wonders in His world, it will all too often leads us to think about the wonders in His word. For example, the rising of the sun helps me to remember the rising of the Son! Jesus broke through the darkest of dark and He consistently brings light to my sometimes very weary soul each new day--now that is a wonder all on it's own!Today, let's refix our gaze. Let's turn from diseased-ridden thoughts to God of Wonder praise. Pick something to speak or sing about and make it known to us on Soul Sisters or to a friend face to face. What in God's world amazes you? Or, has He performed a "wonder" in your life that you can share with thanksgiving? Who knows, our voluntary praise to the God-who-is-in-control may just be a contributing factor in snuffing out the evil in this world.So friends, allow the Son to rise today... through you.For further reading: Lamentations 3:22-24; Psalm 33:6-9; Job 37:14; Psalm 1:3; Philippians 2:15; Matthew 7:24-27; Psalm 111:2-4God, You are the God of Wonders. You are wonderful in Your works and You are wonderful in Your word! Show us how these two things intermingle so that Your creation speaks truths to our hearts. Awaken our sleepy eyes to the things around us that are truly amazing. Stir our forgetful minds to remember marvelous things You have done for us in our personal lives. As a result, may we each praise You with a new song in our soul. Great are You Lord! Amen.

I want to extend a welcome invitation to each of you to a retreat that I will be speaking at the first weekend in April. It is called Restore Moms Retreat and it is open to any mom of any age. (That means grandmothers are invited too!).Here are more details from Lisa Samford, the founder of Restore Moms:"Restore is a Christian moms retreat, founded on Matthew 11:28, 'Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' The goal of the 3 day retreat is to help moms find restoration through Jesus and community with other moms."All inclusive: Meals, lodging, worship, guest speakers, play and relaxation for only $250.

Main Speaker: Chris Baxter

Event Dates: Friday, April 3 (4pm) through Sunday, April 5 (noon)

Event Location: Camp Garner Creek/ 700 Sam Hollow Rd/ Dickson TN 37055

Register today: RestoreMomsRetreat.com

Questions: RestoreMomsRetreat@outlook.com

I hope to see some of you in April!