Cross My Heart Ministry

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered,
“You are the Messiah.”
Mark 8:29

Do you agree with Peter? Do the meditations of your heart, the ruminations in your mind, and the declarations of your mouth all proclaim, “You are the Messiah!”?

Whether your translation says “Messiah” or “Christ” (the former is Hebrew and the latter, Greek), both words mean the same: “anointed one.”  

The key point is that Peter finally gets it. He declares his belief — his knowing — that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the anointed one of God.  

To be “anointed” is to have a call on your life, a purpose. Jesus was anointed to face death — to accept responsibility for the debt owed by every human being. Sin runs up a big tab. A huge debt is due. We are, individually and collectively, spiritually bankrupt. In stepping up to pay the bill, Jesus halted the penalty of death.  

He took our sin. He became our sin. He took the verdict that should be ours.

It was horrifically painful.

It demonstrated a love with no limits.

It changed everything.  

We tidy it up, in a sense, by throwing it all in one box and labeling it “sin.” But take off the lid to peek inside … and you will see the ugly, hideous, dreadful, sickening, toxic truth. 

When Jesus became sin, He became gossip, lying, and stealing. He became adultery, extortion, and gluttony. He became murder, sex-trafficking, and pornography. He became greed, selfishness, pride, and rebellion.

He took the guilt, shame, and penalty for every bit of that. No wonder the Father looked away.  

We may sanitize sin. We may rationalize and justify sin. We may think some are “biggies” and others, “not a big deal.” Did you read the list above and think some are worse than others? I don’t think God classifies sin as “felony” and “misdemeanor.” Sin is sin.  

Perhaps having a one-size-fits-all label — “sin” — makes it more palatable for polite conversation. But it’s horrific. And the price our Messiah paid to wipe each of our slates clean was His life.  

Stopping to ponder who we are, what we have done, and what we deserve should stir up profound gratitude. During these current times of conflict, upheaval, and uncertainty, this is a good time to be reminded to hold fast to what we know to be true.  

Slave-traded-turned-preacher John Newton said it well:  “I am a great sinner and Christ is a great savior.” 

That’s Christianity 101. That’s the gospel in one sentence.  

We are all sinners and only Christ can save us. Hard times reveal our hearts. If you are a follower of Jesus, He has cleansed your heart from sin. Your bill has been paid. Your destiny for eternity is secure.  

Because of our identity in Christ, you and I have nothing to fear. Because we can declare with Peter, “You are the Messiah,” we can also gratefully proclaim, “He is MY MESSIAH.”  

Let that truth never grow stale. Let it bring peace to your heart that trumps panic, and faith that eclipses fear. 

Laura is joined by her friend, Vicki Gill, for this week’s Friday devotional video. We invite you to watch as they discuss one of the Names of God from this month’s bookmark: Comforter. We think you’ll enjoy hearing their thoughts on how God is always with us to comfort us when we have hard things happen.

It’s not too late to join us for the rest of this month’s study of the Names of God. A copy of our bookmark, as well as the optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages to accompany it, can be found on the Downloads page of our website.

“Moses built an altar and called it,
‘The LORD is my banner.’”
Exodus 17:15 

Because his heart was filled with gratitude, Moses built this altar to praise God for His provision.  

We often ask God for help in the midst of the battle. These prayers are often both short and passionate—like Peter crying out, “Jesus, save me!” as he was sinking. 

We often seek His help before going into the battle, our insufficiency and uncertainty prompting us to intercede for His help. 

But the mature believer also remembers to cycle back after the battle, to acknowledge God’s provision and express gratitude for His abiding and sustaining presence.  

The battle that prompted this altar was with the Amalekites. (For all the action, back up and read Exodus 17 in its entirety). As Joshua led the Israelites in fighting the physical battle, Moses fought spiritually by lifting up his arms. Surely, this outward raising of arms reflected an inward calling out in prayer. As long as Moses hands were raised, the Israelites were victorious. When his arms were lowered, the Amalekites pulled ahead.  

When Moses grew weary, Aaron and Hur held up his arms. What a beautiful picture of community in the body of Christ! 

Who is my Aaron and my Hur? Who is yours? 

Perhaps there were other personal occasions (unrecorded in scripture) when Moses and Aaron held up Hur, and when Hur and Moses held up Aaron. 

We need each other. God designed us for relationship. We were not meant to live alone. We need Aarons and Hurs in our lives to spur us on and hold us up when we grow weary. These trusted friends help sustain us when we are tired. They keep our compass pointed in a God-ward direction. They encourage us to keep seeking God even when — especially when — the battle rages.  

When I served as a hospital chaplain I often would ask as I entered a patient’s room, “Are you a woman of faith? May I pray with you?” Even as they welcomed my prayers, often the patient would sigh and respond to my first question, “I used to be in church, but it’s been a long time since I lived that life.” 

Those responses simultaneously confused and saddened me. How could one know the love of God and the fellowship of Christian community and walk away from it? I could only conclude that while God is perfect, humans are not. We hurt and wound one another … and the fallout is often sheep leaving the safety of the fold.  

When we are tempted to walk away, a Hur and an Aaron should draw us back. When Hur and Aaron have our back, our feet stay planted on holy ground and our arms stay outstretched to God.  

But here’s the thing: you can’t wait for the battle to find Aaron and Hur. We need to cultivate those relationships now, so that we are ready when the hard things come.  

Aaron and Hur serve a powerful role in our lives. But Aaron and Hur make lousy gods. They are not God. In fact, Aaron and Hur might even let us down. Moses did not put the names of Aaron and Hur on his altar. His altar read, “The LORD is my banner.” 

Long after Moses moved on, that altar would be there — standing as a monument to His great God. Acknowledging God, bragging on God, making much of God. Perhaps as others passed by, they would be reminded to thank God for His provision in their lives or to consider calling on Him for help in the battle they faced.  

Aaron and Hur could look on that altar and rejoice with Moses. They could praise God for allowing them to be used by God, knowing their obedience and their faithfulness had helped Moses stand firm, seeking God all the way to the end of the battle.  

We need each other.

We need an Aaron and a Hur.

We need to BE an Aaron or a Hur.  

Sometimes we are Moses, fighting the battle. Sometimes we are Aaron or Hur helping Moses stay standing. That’s what Christian community is all about.

Perhaps part of what made Moses a good leader was the humility to know he needed Hur and Aaron. But most of all, he needed who we all need: God.  

Do you have a Hur and an Aaron in your life? 

Are you keeping your arms raised to God in the battle? 

Have you built an “altar” to declare, “the Lord is my banner?”

Our 21-st century altars might not be made of brick, stone, or wood. They might be prayers written in our journals or words of praise shared with those in our hearts. But the heart and mindset will be the same as they were for Moses: God gets the glory for this victory!  

In this week’s Friday devotional video, Laura is joined by her friend, Elizabeth Luethje. We invite you to listen as they discuss that God is our Shepherd. He is our provider, protector, and the One who gives us peace.

Visit our Downloads page today to find you own copy of the August Write the WORD bookmark, and join us for the rest of the month as we read, write, and study the Names of God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1

The Hebrew word for God in this passage is Elohim. This word is plural, suggesting the presence and active involvement of the Trinity during creation. 

It’s easy to think of God the Father as the Creator and Jesus showing up in the New Testament. But the presence of Jesus at creation is confirmed by Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created…”  

And John 1:1 intentionally mirrors Genesis 1:1 language, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  

Genesis 1:2 confirms the presence of the Holy Spirit:  “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”  

The use of the plural Elohim confirms the presence and active involvement of all three members of the Godhead in creation. Our great God is three-in-one. 

The Bible begins from the get-go with foundational truth that God always existed. He was the creator — not the created. He existed before time and is outside of time. He is eternal. He did not evolve or begin; He always was. 

The Hebrew word translated “create” in Genesis 1:1 is the word, bara. It carries the meaning of creating something from nothing. This is more than shaping, arranging, or combining. When you and I bake a cake, we begin with ingredients. While the combination of those ingredients results in a cake, we really cannot use the word “create” in the Biblical sense!

Only God can come up with His own ingredients. When a tag reads “man-made materials,” we should chuckle and remind ourselves that man-arranged is a better description.

While scientists and engineers may have figured out how to split atoms, synthesize chemicals, melt and combine metal to fabricate new alloys, and a myriad of other achievements, human beings cannot bara anything.

Creation testifies to the power and creativity of our amazing God — almighty, all-powerful, majestic, brilliant. He had the creativity to think it all up and the power to speak it into existence.  

As we behold creation, it should prompt us to worship the Creator, the great Elohim, who existed before the beginning and will still be on His throne after the end.  

Let’s praise, thank, and worship Elohim as the one and only God … powerful enough to create (bara) everything from nothing! 

In this week’s devotional video, Laura is joined by her friend Sharon Kilcrease. We invite you to listen in on their discussion of one of the names of God: Adonai. Watch now to hear their thoughts on God’s majesty and Sovereignty expressed in Psalm 8:1. 

You can get your own copy of the August Write the WORD: Names of God bookmark from our Downloads page.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End,”
says the Lord,
“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8

God is the beginning and the end of all. He is the One who was, and is, and is to come. He is God Almighty and our only hope is in Him.  

As followers of Jesus, our hope for eternity is completely dependent on a righteous God with a standard of perfection, but at the same time a God who is full of grace. 

Placing our faith in Him changes our course for eternity and launches a lifelong pursuit of growing in our knowledge of Him and in our relationship with Him. That’s the reason we study the Bible! 

Consider these charges brought against the Israelites by God, using Hosea as His mouthpiece: 

Hear the word of the Lord, You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.”
Hosea 4:1 (NJKV) 

Could the same be said of our land? We who claim to know God – is there truth and mercy and knowledge of God in our land? In our churches? In our homes? In our individual lives?  

I think it’s time for us to woman up and take our faith seriously! Are we women of God … or little girls?

No matter where we find ourselves in our knowing of Him, there is still more to know. 

As the long days of summer grow shorter and fall approaches, I want to invite you to join me in endeavoring to know God better before the season changes than you do today. One of the best ways (if not the best) to do that is to study His Word.  

As we choose to get to know God better, we can examine His many names in Scripture. Biblical names are more than just “name tags” – they provide insight into character and nature.  

Come join me in writing the WORD and simultaneously getting to know God more deeply. Try using these new names to address Him in prayer, to acknowledge both who He is and what He has done.  

Here’s a little experiment before you begin: open your journal (or get a piece of paper) and write out as many names for God as you can think of. Set it aside. Then, at the end of August, complete this same exercise again. See how much you have grown through learning more names to use as you address – and praise – our amazing God! 

Let’s wrap up by examining and marveling over this prayer, offered by Jesus the Son in earthly flesh to God the Father in heaven: 

Now this is eternal life:
that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 17:3

Jesus defines eternal life as knowing Him! 

Are you ready to commit to knowing Him more and more each day? 

In this week’s Friday devotional video, Laura goes deep into Isaiah 50:4-6 and shares some thoughts from her time with the Lord. We hope you are challenged to consider yet another benefit of being a woman of the Word!

We invite you to visit our Downloads page for your own copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark, and join us as we read, write, and dwell on verses that introduce the names of God.

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness,
forbearance and patience, not realizing that
God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4

Kindness, forbearance, and patience: all traits we want from those who love us – our spouse, children, parents, and friends. And those same traits are ones we try our best to reciprocate.  

If we all demonstrated kindness, forbearance, and patience, our homes, marriages, relationships, churches, neighborhoods, and communities would be marked by peace and harmony.  

If we want to be kind today to our spouse, we might make his favorite dinner. To our child, it might mean setting aside the phone and playing with LEGOs or reading a book. Staying up past our own bedtime when he or she wants to talk might be kind to our teenager. The kindness desired by every mother of adult children is a phone call, and your pastor most likely would appreciate the kind affirmation of sharing his sermon on social media. To a friend with a new baby, it translates to a home-cooked meal delivered to her home. It might take the form of picking up groceries so your elderly neighbor can avoid crowds during a flu outbreak.

We even refer to good deeds to strangers as “random acts of kindness.” 

Kindness is a fruit of the spirit, but it’s often viewed as something thoughtful and sweet if we do it, but not really a bad thing if we don’t.

Kindness is considered optional.  

It’s almost thought of as horizontal. If we think about it at all, we think about it in terms of our human relationships: spouse, children, parents, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.  

When we think of kindness, we think of ways we demonstrate it to others and certainly appreciate the ways others show it to us.  

When we think about the character traits God demonstrates to us, many come to mind: love, compassion, and mercy. We may think of God’s power and strength, as we think about Him being our provider, protector, rock, and refuge. We may recount many of these in our prayers of praise to Him.  

But do we thank Him for His kindness? Is that a trait that comes to mind when we think of God? 

And if we do contemplate God’s kindness, do we rattle of a list of physical blessings: home, food, job, medical insurance … even a warning instead of speeding ticket or your misplaced favorite jeans found? 

But in God’s Kingdom, it means way more when viewed through a spiritual lens. To spin a famous phrase from a beloved movie, “That word means more than you think it means.” 

God’s kindness to us has an intended purpose: repentance. That means it is more than meeting physical needs – it brings on spiritual change. It brings conviction. The first time we respond to this conviction brings salvation. It was kind for Him to convict us of our sin! But His kindness continues as we are sanctified. As we respond with repentance, the result in us is refinement.  

The initial response to His kindness brought repentance and salvation. And every response since brings sanctification. As we process God’s divine kindness, our hearts and minds are challenged. We are forced to re-think our definition of what it means to be kind. As I re-examine my understanding of God’s kindness, I am also prompted to reconsider how I am expected to release Holy-Spirit-inspired kindness to others.  

What if I had the same intention as God? What if my purpose for releasing kindness was to change the recipient? What if God wanted to use me to bring the recipient of my kindness to know Jesus or to grow closer to Jesus?

Wow.  

This could mean, then, that the greatest opportunity to be kind and loving is when the recipient has hurt me, neglected me, or been unkind to me. Because my kind response to harshness may bring conviction. In those hard situations, the release of Christ-like kindness marks us as His disciples. It demonstrates unconditional love – rather than quid pro quo love.  

Has God given you a KINDNESS opportunity?  More than just a do-a-good-deed assignment, but an opportunity to truly be like Jesus. It will feel awkward. It will be walking in the opposite direction of where our flesh prompts us to go. It will require the power of the Holy Spirit – that’s why it is a fruit of the Spirit. It cannot be accomplished on our own.  

To walk this out, we must: 

⇒ Pray. 
⇒ Check our motives.
⇒ Pray some more. 
⇒ Act.  

When God provides the privilege of releasing divine kindness that could lead to repentance, we must walk it out in His strength, without judgment to the recipient, with no self-righteousness, and with no expectation of praise or gratitude. We release it with the joyful hope of repentance in the undeserving recipient – knowing that we, too, are wholly undeserving of the kindness we have received.  

Are you ready to take kindness to a whole new level? Let’s do it! 

As we wrap up our month of July focusing on the Attributes of God, we pivot in August to a study of the various Names of God. You may be surprised there are so many! Each one gives us an opportunity to expand our understanding of who He is and, therefore, each name equips us to worship Him more intentionally.

As Laura recorded last Friday’s devotional video months ago, her family was walking through a challenging season as the newest granddaughter was born five weeks early. The passage from day two was particularly comforting and reassuring during those hard days, and Laura found herself able to declare with Hagar, “You are the great El Roi — the God who sees me.” What peace it brought to remember that He is never too busy to see, to hear, and to respond to our pleas. He sees. He knows. He cares, He loves.

Laura gets a little personal this week, as she introduces our new August bookmark. We hope you will listen … and pray that it might encourage you if you are walking through a challenge now, or that it will prepare you for the next challenge that will surely come as we live life in this fallen world.

Visit our Downloads page today for your copy of the August Write the WORD bookmark, and prepare to join us in the coming month as we read, write, and focus on the Names of God.

“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.”
Isaiah 40:11

If you grew up with a strong, hard-working dad, it might be hard to picture God as gentle, or to imagine Him holding you in His arms or carrying you. Your thoughts of the Great Shepherd may include slaying lions and bears to protect sheep. Perhaps it’s easier to see God as a mighty warrior than a gentle shepherd.  

Regardless of the kind of father (or mother) we grew up with, every parent will fall short in modeling the goodness, the greatness, the strength, and the gentleness of God.  

God is the perfect balance. He is strong and powerful. And He is also kind and gentle.  

In our world of action heroes and athletic events, the strong and powerful are the ones often pictured as victorious.  

Our culture often mistakes gentle for weak.  

But gentle is not weak. This facet of God’s nature displays His love and compassion.  

He was strong enough to defeat death and loving enough to want to.  

When I discovered the verse above as a young mom, it seemed it was flashing neon lights – highlighted just for me. I remember wanting desperately to be a good mother, to raise my children well, to invest in them, sacrifice for them, provide, nurture, protect, and love them. But I also realized I was inadequate for the task. (And as time went on, that became even more apparent!)  

When I considered my inadequacy, this verse brought great reassurance to my heart. Though I was insufficient, God was – and is – all-sufficient. He would lead me, so I could lead them. My job was to follow Him. And His leading was gentle. Kind. Loving.  

As I read that verse all those years ago, I remember tears in my eyes and a grateful ache in my heart as I realized my Jesus understood. Because He created me, He knew the heavy responsibility of keeping a tiny human alive, the challenge to love and sacrifice while sleep deprived, to stretch one income to cover all the needs. The challenges grew with the children; each new season from elementary to adolescence to teenage years brought new hard things.   

He knew. He saw. I was not alone.  He was with me then. And, of course, continues to be with me now that my young have young of their own! 

Thank you, Jesus, for gathering me close and keeping me near your heart. Thank you for being faithful when I was faithless, for filling in missing holes in my mothering, and loving my children even more than I do. Thank you for being gentle with me when I was harsh with myself. How I praise you for keeping me close then and keeping me close now. Thank you for gently leading me.  

For this week’s devotional video, Laura is joined by her friend, Diana Meehan, as they discuss God’s unwavering love, joy and care for His people. He is a loving Father who delights in His creation and sings over them with joy. This verse offers comfort and reassurance, emphasizing that God’s love is a source of peace and security, soothing our worries and fears as He rests in His love for us. 

We invite you to visit our Downloads page for your copy of our July bookmark highlighting the Attributes of God.

“Do not worship any other god,
for the LORD whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Exodus 34:14

Our great and holy God will tolerate no rivals. That’s why scripture describes Him as jealous. He alone is worthy of our worship. As humans with limited perspective, we may perceive jealousy as an inherently negative emotion. However, when we consider our perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing God, the word “jealousy” is warranted.

Throughout the Old Testament, God was always faithful to His people. (And He continues to be today!) But when they chose to wander away to unfaithfully “play the harlot” with false gods, He chose to allow challenges that would draw them back from their idolatry.  

Our God permits no rivals.

God loved them (and loves us!) way too much to permit idolatry. It is a poison that robs us of our purpose and destroys our relationship with the one true God.  

The very first commandment – #1 on God’s Top Ten list, if you will – reads: 

“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3

Jesus confirmed when asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” His response in Matthew 22:37 reads: 

“Love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

The Greek word He used for love in this verse is agape. While we’ve always heard this distinguished from phileo (brotherly) love and eros (romantic) love and referred to as “divine” love, I came across a more helpful (and insightful) definition in the footnotes of my NIV Study Bible: 

Commitment of devotion that is directed by the will
and can be commanded as a duty.

This means our love for God transcends our fickle emotions. When feelings take the lead, we may choose to love today and withhold it tomorrow. Love – and more specifically, withholding love  – can be capricious, conditional, and at times even manipulative or punitive.

A grown-up woman of God love (in contrast to a “little girl” love) engages the will. It takes the command seriously. It is prompted by a well-grounded, developed faith. A mature woman of God pushes emotions to the caboose, allowing the will to be the engine driving the train.  

God’s command to worship Him is not just for Him, but also for us. He knows the danger that idolatry brings to our lives. It is destructive, consuming, and insidious. Once it takes root, it becomes a cancer gnawing away at our souls. Loving God is the best antidote for idolatry. 

God is our creator, lover of our souls, and our Savior … He is worthy of our worship, and He does not permit rivals for it. Our worship keeps us safe and protected from the idolatry that can destroy us. 

Do we resent a spouse who expects – and even demands – faithful, loving devotion? Of course not. Adultery would destroy the marriage. Loving our spouses well protects the relationship. Keeping ourselves from diverting our affections is not just a protection for our spouse, but for ourselves as well. Adultery brings pain to both parties, as well as to children, extended family, and the community. When marriages break down, even society begins to unravel. Adultery is to a marriage what idolatry is to our relationship with God. 

I am a jealous wife. If you are married, I hope you are, too – but in a healthy, appropriate, loving way. As God permits no rivals for His affections, I permit no rivals for the affections of my husband. And neither does he. Trust demands this. There are secret things we share that are for no one else to know. I am my beloved’s and he is mine.  

Marriage is really a metaphor for a loving relationship with God. To be clear, my spouse is NOT God … and he would make a poor god, as would I. It occurs to me that the root of many struggles in marriage may be the expectation for a spouse to fill a role that only God can fill. (It can also take the form of a spouse demanding unhealthy adulation – a form of worship, if you will.) But perhaps that’s a topic for another day!

As we agree that God permits no rivals, let’s consider some challenging questions to internalize this truth: 

• Do I believe God is a jealous God? 
• Does God’s jealousy carry a negative or positive connotation? 
• Do I acknowledge He has the right to be jealous? 
• Do I understand the difference between His divine jealousy and my junior high boyfriend’s jealousy? 
• How does knowing this about God’s character impact my behavior? 
• What in my life does (or has the potential to) divert affection, devotion, or worship that should be reserved exclusively for God? 
• How does keeping my affections exclusively for God protect me? 
• What assignment does God have for me as a result of this teaching? 

I pray that you continue writing the WORD this month, and that God uses these verses to teach us more about Himself. Knowing Him better equips us to worship Him more deeply.  

For this week’s devotional video, Laura is joined by her friend, Sandra Kidd. We invite you to watch as these ladies share their hearts and experiences while discussing the truth that God will give us strength to help us when we have unexpected losses and hardships come up in our lives. He is our fortress and protector.

Visit our Downloads page to find your own copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark highlighting Attributes of God, as well as other free resources to help you balance your heart for God with the demands of a busy life and home.