Remember when Jesus said that if you seek, you’ll find, knock and doors will open, ask and you’ll receive (Matt. 7:7)? Sounds like prayers framed with promises, doesn’t it? To get all we ask for? What we want and when? Think again.

First of all, Jesus yearns for us to be in a committed relationship with Him. Seeking yet depending upon His answers as the right ones. Not telling Him what to do. Asking…knocking…seeking. Like a child to a good parent. Assertive yet submissive. Hanging onto His sleeves, assured that He knows best.

This business of assertive seeking is not unique to Jesus. Check out three Old Testament chapters in 2 Chronicles. Okay, where is that? Start seeking and you’ll find it. Nine times the word ‘seek’ or ‘sought’ can be found– ‘…to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment’ (2 Chr. 14: 4). ‘…because we have sought the Lord our God’ (v.7). ‘If you seek him, he will be found by you…’ (15:2). ‘…to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul’ (v.12). There are more, but you get the point.

Seek the Lord. Come to Him. Don’t shy away. No hiding from what shames us. He’s waiting like the father of the Prodigal Son. Longing for us to draw close. His arms remain wide open. Not the back of the hand, but His helping one.

What more could He do? Ask away. Seek your Lord Jesus. Knock on His front door. He’s always home. Wait for Him to open it. Be patient (I’m looking squarely in the mirror!). Don’t step back. Stay put. He’ll come and open the door at just the right time, in just the right way.

Come to think of it, why wouldn’t you seek Him?

Lord Jesus, thank you for wanting me to come to you with anything that’s on my heart. Amen.

Years ago, I found my faith running on a nearly dead battery. Warning lights go off, but I pay little attention. Red lights and green all signal that something’s amiss. In what ways?

My reading of the Bible becomes hit-and-miss. Only on good days. Prayer was like begging, or in emergency situations. Church attendance drops off as worship seems stale and a waste of my oh-so valuable time.

Check out Psalm 77, where you’ll find another whose faith seems up against the wall–‘Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?’ (Ps. 77: 7-9). See what I mean? No believer wants to stay stuck like this. I didn’t and don’t.

So, what do you do? How can you dig out of this spiritual pit? When you seem to land yourself on a different team than God’s? Not a great feeling to have. Is this the joy of the Lord that He wants for me? And you?

In this psalm, jumper cables can be found, giving an electric boost to our sputtering faith. To get us closer to our God. And be happy again, nestled safe and secure in His loving arms. How? The words ‘remember’, ‘ponder’, and ‘meditate’ send some sparks–‘…Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart’ (Ps. 77: 6).

I haven’t a clue as to why I picked up an old hymnal and started leafing through its pages. I could hardly put it down. I didn’t want to. Kept singing to my heart’s content. Why? What I discovered were wonderful hymns that I loved to sing early in my Christian life, when I was a fresh and excited follower of Jesus, which had almost petered out. Almost.

So, I’d sing to myself all those reassuring songs about salvation, the blood of Jesus, softly and tenderly the Lord loves me, placing my feet squarely at Calvary, thanking Jesus for what He did for me on that old rugged cross. Singing them over and over again, those wonderful words of life. The more I sang, the more my feelings lifted and floated higher and higher. That’s exactly what happened. By the way, I still keep that old hymnal close by just in case.

Whatever way you can draw close to Jesus, do it. Reading more of your Bible daily? Dig in. Talking with a mature and trusted believer who has compassion and more ears than a mouth? Get close and unburden yourself. Find your way back to church, a fellowship where the Bible is preached faithfully? Not a bad idea. But be careful, for not all do.

How about sharing these weekly devotionals with someone else? They may encourage and help them. You think? Could be. That’s my daily prayer.

Again, whatever enables you to get passionate for the Lord Jesus, do it. And remember, don’t forget!

Lord Jesus, draw me closer to you with a fresh excitement that only You can give. Amen.

Those who talk about the patience of Job have merely skimmed his Old Testament story. His emotions are all over the place. Angry one moment. Then, he cursed the day he was born. In the next breath, he’s praising God for whatever the Lord brings his way. Patient…impatient. No steady-eddy with flat-lined emotions. Me too. Like Job, I could use a boost of patience.

I like to get things done…NOW! The more the merrier. The sooner the better. Putting things off is not in my DNA. It bothers me when things pile up, and chores get pushed to the back burner, leaving me with an uneasy feeling.

As much as I like to get things done, I need to follow what’s said in Psalm 75. Just a fragment of a verse is all it takes to give me pause. Psalm 75: 2–‘At the set time that I appoint…’ That’s it? That’s it!

God has His timing. History is His story. That should come as no surprise since He is the Creator and Lord of All. He’s in charge. But we know that. So what? Here’s what–‘get with His program, Fischer’. Keep asking for His will in my life. Of course, be busy, but contact Him first and foremost, not last but least. Less emergency prayers and more moment-by-moment, up-to-date communication. You know what I mean.

I’m to keep His appointments. Not show up if I feel like it, weather permitting. If I’ve got a few extra moments to spare with nothing better to do. I wonder what’s on the ‘idiot box’? Does anyone have a TV Guide? Giving God my leftovers. We can do better than that, can’t we? Shouldn’t we? I’m looking in the mirror now.

Of course, I know that the Lord has gifted each of us differently. Some operate in high gear. Others idle some, needing time to consider whatever it is they’re to do. But being who we are means playing less solitaire and more like the card game ‘Bridge’, where we have a partner.

For me, I want to step back a moment, tune in to more than a partner, to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for His timing and His appointments, with headwinds more from His direction for a change.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being my Lord and Master. Amen.

How about reading the 9th chapter in the Gospel of John in your Bible? You won’t be sorry. It’s one of my favorites. How could it not be? I identify with what takes place. Okay, I’m not blind, but what transpires between Jesus and the one who has no sight resonates within me.

This encounter is all about God’s reach. How much the Lord wants us in His life. What lengths He goes to to wrap us up in His loving arms, never letting go. The full extent of His outstretched hands, grabbing hold of you and me.

This blind beggar had no idea who performed this unasked-for miracle. Nowhere in the story does he call out to Jesus for help. Just sits where he usually does, hoping for the generosity of some passersby. For a handout to make it through another day. To get by is probably all he can think about.

When, lo and behold, a man rubs some gooey mud in his eyes. What? Is someone making fun of him, performing a prank at this poor man’s expense? Hardly. Quite the contrary.

Jesus reaches out to a man in need. Why? You know. The same reason He’s reached out to you. And me. After all, my own story has much more to do with God moving in my direction than the other way around. Indeed, I always had questions about God and Jesus. Too bad that no one around me had answers that satisfied.

But one Sunday evening, while flipping through the radio dials, I heard a program that spoke about Jesus’ love for me. And I knew that it wasn’t family, neighbors, or even my social-club home church that had my sought-after answers. No, I found them in a Bible that I had received as a third-grader from the church I was baptized in as an infant, which book I’d kept on a far-off shelf in mint condition for over eight years. Never opened, never read. But that was about to change.

The very next morning, I crack open my Bible and start reading the New Testament. Why there? I’ve no idea, but I’m glad that I did, for the Old Testament might have proven quite taxing for a day-old newbie in God’s Kingdom!

In time, old questions find answers. Yes, new quandaries emerge, but the important stuff gets settled. Adding icing to this delicious spiritual cake, I find a church in my hometown that preaches from the Bible, whose members talk about Jesus as if He’s their best friend. For He is!

What’s interesting to me is that behind all this business of my moving toward God is, first of all, His hand reaching out to me. It’s no accident that I happened to hear about God’s love while listening to the radio that Sunday evening. No ‘lucky break’ that I have my own Bible ready to read the next day after praying for Jesus to come into my life. No ‘fluke’ or ‘karma’ that I attend a church that faithfully preaches God’s Word. No way. It’s Jesus all the way. His reach.

Your story? You have one, don’t you? Can’t you sense Jesus’ hand reaching out to you, making you His own? Like what happened to that blind beggar years ago. And this devotion writer, needing a touch from above. And you…

Thank you, Jesus, for finding me and never letting go. Amen.

What kind of title is that? Horses…high priests. Good for one, good for the other. What’s possessed my feeble peabrain today? No guesses, por favor!

So, let me explain. The Old Testament book of Exodus describes a metal plaque worn front-and-center on the turban of the High Priest in God’s Temple in Jerusalem. It’s called a ‘tzitz’. It was gold-plated and inscribed with these words–‘Holy to the Lord’ (Ex. 28: 36). How appropriate for the High Priest, who should be a man wholly dedicated to his God.

Okay. But what about those horses? Turn to Zechariah chapter 14, which tells about ‘a day (that) is coming’ (v. 1), ‘On that day…’ (v. 4), ‘…a unique day…’ ( v. 7). Which one is that? You’ve probably guessed. When Messiah comes to right the wrongs of this world, He will protect His own, forgive their sins, and extend a welcome mat to all who desire to worship Him. That’s a day worth waiting for, isn’t it? But we’re still wondering about those galloping quadrupeds.

At the end of Zechariah 14, you’ll find out–“And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts…” (Zech. 14: 20-21).

High Priests…horse’s bells…kitchen pots–each one holy to the Lord! Everything, significant or not, by our estimation, shines clean as a whistle when God’s day comes. Nothing’s left out. All for His glory and pleasure, which He bountifully shares with us, His believing children.

Won’t that be something? The dawn of a new age. Scrubbed clean from top to bottom, side to side, inside and out. Nothing blemished or off-color. No more flirting with whatever sin tantalizes at the moment. Heaven will be hygienic and immaculate. No more dirt or filthy language. None. All gone and good riddance.

Thankfully, in a way, it’s already begun. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, a new day dawned, whose sunshine can be felt, its warmth for His own. But the fullness, when sin and death shall be no more, that day is yet to come. I can hardly wait! You too?

Thank you, Jesus, that my best days are just around the corner. Amen.

There were times early on when I wondered about my salvation. Honest but scary times. Looking inward to sense my commitment to Jesus. Often weak, coupled with uncertainty and fear. What if my destiny is in a too-warm climate? Where the unimaginable becomes stark reality. No, Lord, please, not there. My heart’s desire is to be close to God both now and then. Here and there. For time and eternity.

Have you ever had such struggles? I hope not, but sadly, I’m sure I’m not alone. That’s when reading John 6 becomes like a healing salve on an infected wound. Much-needed medicine from Dr. Jesus.

Here’s His prescription–‘All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out’ (John 6: 37). There’s more–‘And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me…’ (v. 39).

It couldn’t be stated more clearly —my faith is truly God the Father’s gift to His Son, from one person of the Godhead to another. My coming to Jesus has been prompted. Nudged along. Drawn and moved in my Lord’s direction. So, go with the flow. Accept what’s happened with joy and confidence. In other words, believe already!

When Jesus says in verse 37 that ‘I will never cast out,’ He uses a biblical Greek phrase worth noting. It does translate as ‘never’, but with a much stronger force. ‘Never’ is two Greek words, which emphatically mean ‘no way’, ‘not a chance’, ‘beyond a shadow of a doubt’, and ‘not on your life’. Basically, ain’t gonna happen!

What won’t? If we’re ‘in Christ’, we’re in. Period. When it comes to God the Son, what’s given Him, He keeps. He never gives it away. His Father has a no-return policy.

Now the operative word is ‘if’. If we trust Jesus. If we believe in Him. If we open our hearts to the Lord, receiving His gift of new life and forgiveness with thankfulness and commitment. ‘If’.

When we’re wrestling with whether we’re in or out, wanting to make sure we’re His, then most likely we are. His, that is. However, it’s when someone walks away from Jesus, vowing to never look back, wanting nothing more to do with Him, would rather go to hell than be with some god-type or his goody two-shoes, holier-than-thou types, then sadly, the opposite is true. Not ‘in Christ’. Never has been.

I relish Jesus’ words in John 6, hanging onto them. His lifeline to little old me. An eternal lifebuoy ring tossed to one who can’t swim. Me. I need His reassurance. To be ‘in’ and His always. Just me?

Thank you, Lord, for making me your own forever. Amen.

Ever wonder what God wants? What He expects of you? And then, if you have a clue, how you’re doing with that? Is your scorecard looking like a winner? Or do your grades put you in the lower half of your class, wearing a dunce cap in the hallways of heaven?

Despite what I’ve done for the Lord, I still feel like I’ve let Him down. Been a slackard, goofing off when Jesus could have used more commitment from me. Of course, can any of us ever do enough for our God?

I don’t want to think that I spent five years hosting a local testimony TV show, where we used to live and minister, just to get my mug displayed on the one-eyed monster. Or stayed for a long time at our last church, fourteen years in all, to see if the church family could stand us long-term? Or write these devotionals for over eleven years and publish two books just to make a profit; which, to be honest, has gone the other direction. Even with all of the above, I feel ashamed that more hasn’t been accomplished for my Lord.

Then I read John chapter 6, and it’s the best medicine for whatever ails you–‘And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life…’ (John 6: 39-40).

So, that’s what God wants of me? To hang in there with Him and not reject Him? To be the son He’s called me to be? Just to be His and His alone? And to act accordingly? Not to try and earn my way into His heart? Or to do enough good to outweigh the bad? Or pull some strings by getting to know the right religious folk? As in some high-powered spiritual networking?

Now, back to that question of what God wants. Simply put, to trust in Jesus. To get as close to Him as we can. Listening to Him, our ears to His ground, found in our Bible. Praying often, not only in emergencies or when all else fails. Leaning hard His way. Believing when we’re told that the evidence seems contrary. Being on His team even when we appear to lose big games. Staying loyal to Jesus as He does to us–‘And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me…’ (John 6: 39).

We are the Father’s gift to the Son. A gift, in the best sense of the word, is not earned but offered without strings, and received with heartfelt thanks. Jesus accepts us as His Father’s gift. A divine present that we’ll always be His, cherished and precious. ‘Safe and secure from all alarms,’ as the old hymn reminds us.

So, this week, let’s believe in Jesus, which can be a tall order. Nevertheless, throw caution to the wind and trust Him anyway. Follow Him wherever He leads, tossing whatever comes our way at His feet (especially when we falter and fail), staying right there with Him no matter what, never leaving His side. Never. That’s exactly where God wants us to be.

Lord Jesus, thank you for making me yours forever. Amen.

Jesus’ heart goes out to the gathered crowd that day, all those famished people. But He has only a couple of barley loaves and two fish. That’s it. However, from that meager food basket, He manages to fill the gullets of over 5000 people until their tummies are about to explode. Much to my liking (and others in my family!), there’s a ton of leftovers. Really? Absolutely, for in Jesus’ hands, a little goes a long way. Take that as a hint. Give Him whatever you have. He can do more with it than you can.

Later in John 6, we discover that the crowd hangs around looking for Jesus. They want more. Of Him and His teaching? Yeah, right. Not quite. Rather, to munch away at Jesus’ overflowing freebie feedbag of goodies. After all, grub satisfies for only a few hours. Their gratitude lasts only as long as Jesus’ prior blue-plate special.

Fear not, the Lord knows what they’re up to. No fooling Him, then or now–‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for food that perishes…’ (John 6: 26-27).

Without skipping a beat, the crowd bellows and howls like this–‘Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness…'(John 6: 30-31). Can you believe them? These are the same blokes Jesus recently fed. And now they come after Him for more. A twenty-four-hour, open daily, holidays included, don’t have to buy-one but still get-one-free, endless buffet with an unnecessary senior discount thrown in for good measure!

Their stomachs growl for blessings beyond measure. What Jesus did last time was not enough. That’s yesterday’s miracle. What about today? Why not every day, Jesus? All the time. More and more, or we won’t believe you, let alone follow. You’d better put up, or else.

They’re in it for the goodies. For His blessings. What He can and must give them. Uh oh, I sense someone looking over my shoulder. A nudge to my conscience? An unwelcome glance in the mirror? A ‘gotcha’ from on high? For am I any better than the crowd that day? In it for all I can get. Ungrateful and spoiled rotten.

All this gives me pause. Too important to just shrug off. So, I’m taking this seriously, thinking about it hard and long. I least want to be a fairweather follower of Jesus. Rather, I want to be all in, with both feet planted solidly in His corner. No matter if all God’s earthly blessings dry up and blow away. Yes! Always His and His alone. But am I?

Lord Jesus, forgive me when I’m greedy and selfish. Amen.

Why would the miracle of Jesus’ healing the paralyzed man by the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem be my favorite? Aren’t they all the best? Well, for sure. Slap my wrist to say otherwise, but still, this one rings my bell louder than others. Why? Well, let me explain.

It’s not because I had paralytic polio as a toddler. Well, maybe a little bit. But it has more to do with how much this man knew about Jesus when he was healed. Any guesses? Right. Not much. Perhaps sketchy rumors were circulating about a miracle worker from Nazareth, who was in the area that day. All the Bible says is that someone spoke words that this invalid wanted desperately to hear–‘…Get up, take up your bed, and walk’ (John 5: 8).

Do what? Get up? Walk? After 38 years, unable to work those infirm legs, after all the failed attempts to be healed by the spirited waters of this Pool, when no one would help him, that’s when Jesus mosies by and calls out to him–‘get up, walk.’ Hey, why not? Costs nary a shekel. And guess what?–‘…at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked’ (John 5: 9). Bingo. Presto. Healed and well. Who’d a thunk?

The reaction of the religious elite? Those who snobbishly know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they themselves are closest to God? Arrogant so-and-so’s, who have little time for any down-and-out? They reek of spiritual superiority. And go ballistic at Jesus’ effrontery, daring to heal on the Sabbath.

Couldn’t he wait a measly couple of hours until after sundown when Sabbath is over? Oy vey, what a schlemiel. So, they confront the newly healed man about who has performed such a dastardly deed. Who? ‘Fess up, already. The healed man hadn’t a clue–‘Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn…’ (John 5: 13).

Here’s something else that’s unexpected–“Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well! Sin no more…'” (John 5: 14). Who found whom? Jesus waits in the wings, goes down the back alleys of Jerusalem, looking for this very man. He seeks him until he’s found. Never giving up until the lost one is found.

That’s what happened to me. Jesus found me. He was after me from way back when, until one Sunday evening, listening to the radio in my bedroom, I heard about Jesus loving me and wanting to be in my life. Really? Is He that desperate? Jesus wants me? A nobody from nowhere? Is this for real?

By the way, how come I never heard this before? I was confirmed in my home church. A member in good standing. Whatever. Who cares? All I know is that I prayed that night, asking Jesus into my life, and He came and has never left, even though I’ve given Him plenty of reasons to do just that. Too many, really. He’s here to stay, despite myself.

Jesus sought me. He knocked on my front door. Who’s there? I knew so little about Him. Almost nothing. But it didn’t matter. He loves me. So, I opened my heart to Him. How about you? Time for some company, the best kind?

You’ll discover that the longer we hang around Him, the more time we spend in prayer and in our Bibles, and following what He wants, then we’ll get to know Him like never before.

See why this is my favorite miracle? Puts salvation, first and foremost, in God’s court. His serve. His point. Aced by Jesus! That’s a miracle, par excellence. Still my favorite!

Lord Jesus, I love you for finding me and placing me in your family. Amen.

Some have wondered how many devotional books I’ve sold, hinting that they’d like to know how much money I’ve made. Nosey Parkers! Since these weekly devotionals, which I’ve written and published for over 11 years, cost you nothing and me just a modest annual charge from the web organizer, I assume they refer to royalties from my two published books, which are still very available on Amazon and would make marvelous Christmas presents! Shame on me! But, to be painfully honest, those book purchases have put me in a lower tax bracket! Get it? Satisfied? Prying buttinskies!

It’s also true that people from over sixty countries have discovered my website. All right, already, maybe only three to five new people every day. Add that up, and it’s still but a drop in the bucket. It could have more readers. I pray for such. To be a blessing. To make my contribution to God’s Kingdom.

Yes, I’m a small fish in a big pond. Wee potatoes. A bit player. Chump change. And? You’re point? Should I quit? Pack it up and call it a day? Stop fighting the rip tide and come to shore? Well, since I can’t swim, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing for my Lord Jesus.

You must know that the idea for all this devotional writing comes from God. Okay, I never heard an audible voice. No skywriting or colossal sign, either. Just an impression in my mind of a mission from my Lord. To write devotionals. For Him. For others. Never for personal gain. Not to advance a career. But, again, for Him and for others. Does it make me sound like a goody two-shoes? If so, too bad, so sad!

Like God’s people in Zechariah 4, when they eyeball the modest sight of their newly rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and hear stories about the magnificence of Solomon’s original worship complex, they break down in tears, grieving this ‘day of small things’ (v. 10). How the mighty have fallen, so they think.

That’s when God encourages them to keep on keeping on–“Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you'” (Zech. 4: 8-9). It’s about God’s plans and not merely your own. You’re disappointed? Embarrassed? Let down? Get over it and get with it.

Whatever you do for Jesus, please, keep at it. Maybe it’ll be in a new place. Doing something somewhat different. Or you need to dig in your heels and not give up. I don’t know. But ask Jesus what He wants you to do. Wait on Him. Watch for little hints and signals. Don’t be in such a blasted hurry as I usually am. Wait, while you’re at it. And then, that’s right, do it!

Hudson Taylor, the 19th-century missionary to China, said this–‘Little things are little things. But faithfulness in little things is a big thing.’ Read that again and let what he said over a century ago sink in. Certainly grabs my attention. Just mine?

Lord Jesus, I love doing what you call me to do. What an honor. Always for your sake. Amen.