Tag: Psalm 46

Greetings, visitors and New Beginnings family! If you choose, pour yourself a cup of coffee, then pull up a chair for the latest edition of “Coffee with Gary” entitled “How determined are we to follow Jesus?”

Of all the seasons, winter is my least favorite, and this winter has seemed as if it would never end. Mr. Tumnus, in the allegorical C.S. Lewis children’s book, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, lamented, “It is winter in Narnia, and has been forever so long…. always winter, but never Christmas.” What could be worse and more hopeless than a never-ending winter? Still, no matter how long it feels or seems to take, winter does eventually and always yield to spring.

With spring comes the resurgence of life. Flowers and trees blossom. Birds build their nests, and squirrels frolic in the yard. And this year, a robin has decided that my front porch lamp is a good place for a nest. A few years ago, another robin had built a nest on our lamp, and we left it in place to observe the chicks. We did not use the front door for a time but instead used the garage door to enter and exit our house so as not to disturb the nest. Then one day, we found the nest suddenly deserted without a trace. This year I am determined not to let this scenario repeat itself. No more garage door detours for us!

Every time I noticed nesting material on the lamp, I pulled it down to discourage the robin from building her nest there. This continued for a while, then ended for a few days. However, this robin was not to be dissuaded. Over the past few days, she has returned with renewed determination. Since then, I have had to pull down nesting material several times a day, only for the robin to return with more just minutes later. Who will give up first in this battle of wills? The answer remains to be seen!

This reminds me of the hymns, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” and “I’m Determined to Walk With Jesus”. If it were easy to follow Jesus, we would not need dogged determination to follow Him. When we choose to walk with Jesus, that choice will meet with resistance. The Bible cautions us about three clear enemies of our faith. The first is the world or, in other words, the world system (James 4:4). Next is our flesh or, in other words, our inner foe (Galatians 5:17). And finally, there is Satan himself (1 Peter 5:8).

With so many obstacles standing in our way, how do we stay determined to follow Jesus? Be encouraged! With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 18:27) Despite the resistance we face, it’s God’s desire for us to follow Jesus in our day-to-day lives. By grace through faith in Jesus, God has provided everything we need to follow Jesus.

First, Jesus is our example of a man who was determined to obey the Father, even to the point of enduring the cross, to purchase our salvation (Hebrews 12:2-3). Next, God is our strength and refuge, and He is always there for us (Psalm 46). Furthermore, Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit to be with us forever (John 14:15-31). Finally, we have been equipped with spiritual armor to stand our ground against the devil’s schemes, praying in the Spirit on all occasions (Ephesians 6:10-18).

So, just as winter MUST yield to spring (or, according to this week’s forecast, to summer!), so also the enemies of our souls MUST and WILL yield if we remain focused on the prize. (Hebrews 12:2) Let us always remember the Lord’s promise to those who, with determination, follow Jesus all the way into His glory! (Revelation 21:6-7) Now the only question remaining is, “How determined are we to follow Jesus?”

Your fellow pilgrim, looking for a country of our own (Hebrews 11:13-16),

Gary