I Never Knew You

 

Matthew 7:23 records the words of Jesus no believer wants to hear; it’s a most unsettling sentence.

Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’ (NRSVUE)

Understand that this was not an indictment against unbelievers, as Jesus Himself said, these will be persons who had prophesied in His name, cast out demons in His name and would have done many mighty works in His name (see v 22). Jesus was referring to followers, people who claimed to belong; people who performed in His name.

His words were addressed to those who believed they belonged to the household of God.

For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the Good News of God? (1 Peter 4:17 NRSVUE)

But Jesus said that not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21 NRSVUE) so that merely believing you belong is not an automatic access pass.

You see, knowing Jesus is one thing but Jesus knowing you is another. This knowing has nothing to do with facts, this has to do with intimacy, covenant knowing in the way that Adam knew Eve his wife (Genesis 4:1). It’s actually the same word found in Jeremiah 1:5 (NRSVUE).

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…

When Jesus said, I never knew you, He brought together two Greek words, oudepote (never) and ginōskō (knew), which in effect say, “not even at any time did I have an intimate relationship”.

This was not fear mongering on Jesus’ part, He was exposing something that had already taken root among believers and sadly it’s still happening today. It’s so dangerous in its subtlety that Jesus had to shine a light on it; it’s when churchgoers replace relationship with performance. Where doing in Jesus’ name is substituted for an intimate relationship with Jesus – relationship replaced by activity.

Too many of us are so busy doing ministry that we have completely ignored relationship. We seek recognition for church involvement, we stand to make public testimonies of our faith, we show visible results for the things we’ve done, we’re fluent in religious language, yet none of these activities, though commendable, address the issue Jesus has exposed.

It’s not about what you do, it’s about who you are to Him. Salvation is not transactional but relational, it is abiding, it is union, it is connection, it is adoption, it is knowing – you knowing Jesus and more importantly Jesus knowing you. It’s not outward activity done solely for man’s approval but inward reality that bears good fruit (see Matthew 7:15-20) to the Father’s glory, as a result of your intimate relationship with Jesus (see John 15:5-8).

Matthew 7:23 is a statement purely about relationship, the ultimate spiritual connection – not yours to Jesus but His to you.

Beloved, the question at the final judgment won’t be what you accomplished in Jesus’ name. The question will be if He ever knew you.

Does Jesus know you now? You can be working for Jesus but not walking with Jesus; talking about Him but not with Him; know of Him but not known by Him because you have not established an authentic, mutual relationship with Jesus.

You can do something about it today so that you’ll never have to hear Jesus say I never knew you.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “I Never Knew You” © 2026 June 25, 2026

Worship the Lord

 

Revelation 15:2-4 (ERV)

I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and over the number of its name were standing by the sea. These people had harps that God had given them. They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and wonderful are the things you do,
Lord God All-Powerful.
Right and true are your ways,
Ruler of the nations.
All people will fear you, O Lord.
All people will praise your name.
Only you are holy.
All people will come and worship before you,
because it is clear that you do what is right.”

Several years ago, I suffered the heartbreaking loss of a very dear friend; it was unexpected, I was crushed, and my trust, like glass that has fallen onto a tiled floor, shattered into tiny shards.

Grieving the loss, I was at sea, then one day God laid a song on my heart, and I sang and every day thereafter I would worship the Lord singing songs of praise.

And as I continued to worship the Lord, a sense of peace invaded my heart and little by little those tiny shards of broken trust were fitted back together until my trust in God was restored.

When you worship the Lord, not only does the atmosphere around you change but the atmosphere everywhere is affected. Worship at work is invisible to the naked eye but its effects in you are unmistakably visible.

And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away. – 1 Samuel 16:23 (NLT)

When you engage in authentic, intentional worship, with your mind focused on God, something incredible happens – the Presence of the Lord is manifested as He inhabits your praises (ref. Psalm 22:3).

Beloved, your worship may not compare to that of the celestial choir in Revelation 15, with their heavenly voices and unworldly melodies but nothing is stopping you from using their beautiful words of adoration to worship the Lord.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Worship the Lord” © 2026 June 24, 2026

 

 

Lost in Translation

 

I think that we forget that the bible was not originally written in English. I think that we forget that the bible was written about real people living real experiences at a real time in history. I think we forget that these real people spoke a language that wasn’t English.

In the English language we have one word to describe a thing while in other languages there are several different words to describe the different types of the single word we use in English.

For instance, our English word “love”, no matter what type of love we want to express, there is only this one word, while in Greek, there are several words to describe the different kinds of love, agape, eros, philía, philautía, storge, and xenia, so there’s no ambiguity.

And in some instances, certain words in one language simply do not exist in English, so the very essence of the word gets lost in translation. Take the Danish word “hygge”, it can’t be properly expressed in English because it’s more of a feeling, a mood or an experience; in an effort to explain its meaning, it’s translated as “coziness” but that doesn’t do it justice since it is so much more than that.

“Hygge”, like some Hebrew and Greek words, is cultural and relational, so the translation is more of an interpretation than a true reflection of the word itself and inevitably the word’s essential meaning is lost in translation.

I imagine that when translating from any language into another, translators have to decide the best word-meaning choice, wondering, “will it fit the context?”, “will it carry the cultural meaning?”, “will it convey the genuine essence of the original language?”

Whatever the choice, it will have an effect on how we understand the word and in the case of God’s Word which was translated from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek to English.

Those who translated the bible years ago did not have the same life experiences as the people of the first century.

Their culture, their idea of community, how they viewed honour, saw shame, carried out justice, their familial relationships, their entire way of life, and even their communion with God, were vastly different so, it’s no wonder that context got lost in translation. Meanings got lost in translation. Understanding got lost in translation. Expressions got lost in translation. The intensity and the true impact of a whole verse or even a chapter got lost in translation because of the interpretation of a single word.

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 AMPC)

Beloved, every time you read the bible, you’re reading someone’s interpretation so that’s more reason for you to dig deep, go beneath the words on the pages, and always seek Spirit’s guidance because the words that have been lost in translation hold much more meaning than you realize.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Lost in Translation” ©2026 June 23, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the depths of despair

 

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. – Psalm 130:1-2 (NLT)

There’s so much chaos going on in the wider world today and closer to home, where you might be one of those persons who has lost their job or their livelihood. Life seems an endless spiral of doom and gloom and it feels as if you’re in the depths of despair with no apparent way out.

When bills are mounting and everything seems to be going wrong, don’t be afraid to call on the Lord for help. That’s what the psalmist did, he cried out to the Lord, from the depths of despair, asking Him to pay attention to his prayer.

Despair makes hope distant, but you must hang onto the belief that the Lord is hearing your voice and is listening to your prayers.

You can confidently echo Jesus’ words, I know You always hear and listen to Me (John 11:42 AMPC) because the Lord does, as a matter of fact, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him (Matthew 6:8 NLT).

Trust that He knows your predicament and He will act, however, you must patiently await His response. The Lord acts in His timeframe, not yours. The period of waiting may be longer than you would want it to be and the anguish that waiting in the depths of despair brings is real, but the Lord is not slow as you understand slowness.

Beloved, even though you have been redeemed by Christ, you are not immune from the depths of despair that arise during difficult times, it’s par for the course but remember always that the Lord is aware of all that you’re going through and He is with you every step of the way.

So, as you wait for the joy that is sure to come in the morning, continue to trust that the Lord is working all things together for your good. Now, rest in His love for you.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “From the depths of despair” ©2026 June 22, 2026

An Anchored Soul

 

In Priscilla Jane Owens’ 1882 hymn, she asks,

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

This world is in turmoil, and it is seeping into our personal spaces – there is chaos everywhere you turn.

But, despite all that is churning up around you, imagine waking up each morning with a confident hope, not because your situation has changed but because your soul is anchored in something that’s deeper than your troubles.

Theological platitudes can only give relief to a downcast soul for a short time, all they do is act as a placebo – a temporary fix and not a long-term solution.

God’s incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, is an unwavering anchor for your soul. He is the Rock which cannot move, it is in Him that your soul must be firmly and deeply anchored.

Troubles come to all of us, but an anchored soul in Jesus will buffet life’s fiercest storms.

A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water…Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm. – Mark 4:37 & 39 (ERV)

Your boat may be almost full of water but do not panic, know that the same Jesus who stilled the wind and calmed the waves is with you today. Jesus is the only anchor that can keep your soul steady in the most turbulent times; in Him is your peace, your strength and your hope.

God’s Word tells us to,

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. – Romans 12:12 (NLT)

I know all too well just how difficult it is to rejoice and be patient during the storms of life, but you must determine to do so because these are the seasons when your most holy faith is built up.

But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! – Jude 1:20-21 (MSG)

Beloved, an anchored soul in Jesus Christ is the real life. He is the Living Word on whom you can depend and in whom you can place your confident hope (ref. Psalm 42). And as you anchor your soul in Him, hold securely to the following promise of God,

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. – Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13 (ERV)

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “An Anchored Soul” ©2026 June 21, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Let us Pray: Psalm 85

 

"Morning has Broken" by Shelley Johnson

O Lord, thank You for the favour You continuously show to me; for bringing me success in everything I do.

Thank You for forgiving me and for covering all my sins by the Blood of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Because of Your Son, You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger.

Thank You for restoring me again O Lord my Saviour.

Thank You for reviving me again; I rejoice in You.

Thank You for showing me Your unfailing love, O Lord and granting me Your salvation.

Thank You for giving me new life.

Thank You for Your glory which dwells within my home and for Your steadfast love and faithfulness that meet together there.

Thank You for Your mercy, goodness and peace that greet me with a kiss every morning.

Thank You for Your faithfulness that springs up from the ground and Your righteousness that looks down from heaven.

Thank You Lord for indeed You always give me what is good – You make me prosper and I yield an abundant harvest.

Thank You for pouring down Your blessings on me.

Thank You that righteousness goes as a herald before You and sets me in the way of Your steps.

I make this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Let us Pray: Psalm 85” ©2026 June 21, 2026

 

Let us pray: Psalm 84

 

photo courtesy Chionsu Barclay

O Lord Almighty, my King and my God, You are the living God, You are the All-powerful Lord, You are the Omnipresent God and everywhere You are, is beautiful.

Thank You for the great blessings of abiding in Your house.

Thank You that I’m able to praise You.

I am greatly blessed because I depend on You for strength.

You have set my heart on a spiritual journey;

And as I pass through the valleys of life, You are there, making it a place of springs;

You also send the autumn rains to cover it with pools of blessings.

I go from strength to strength, till I appear before my God in Zion.

Thank You, Lord God All-powerful, for hearing my prayer and for listening to me.

Thank You for watching over me with favour.

I declare that one day is better in Your house than a thousand days anywhere else;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the homes of the wicked.

Thank You, my Lord God, for being my Sun and Shield, my Protector, my glorious King;

Thank You for blessing me with favour and honour;

Thank You for freely giving me every good thing, as I have been made right with You by the loving sacrifice of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ,

O Lord Almighty, thank You that as my trust in You increases, so do Your blessings increase in my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Let us pray: Psalm 84” ©2026 June 20, 2026