Purpose

 

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].  – Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)

God created you for purpose. Everyone has a purpose for being here, you weren’t created by chance. You may think it hard to believe that God needs you, but you are significant and play an important role in God’s plan, especially when you’ve been reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed – you are certainly ready to be used.

You must understand that you have purpose – a mission here in this earthly, physical realm that has a great effect and impacts the spiritual realm.

Too many of us like to say over and over again that we have no purpose; if you are one of those persons, perhaps you’re trying to find purpose in what rather than Who.

This stems from the self-seeking mindset that we all seem to possess. The thing is, we all have needs – we need food, we need water, we need clothes, we need a job, we need money, we need more time, we need to exercise, we need to sleep, we need to go to church, we need and we need and we need this and that and some more of that. Frankly, our list of needs is exhausting.

In actual fact, what we do need is to become persons who aren’t driven by self-serving needs. According to the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, the point of life isn’t to get everything we need; that should never be our fixation.

After all, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31-33 (AMP),

do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’…for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

Do you see on Whom you should be focused?

Jesus and Paul are pointing in similar directions. Our primary purpose for which we were created is to serve God, not ourselves.

Beloved, God knows every material thing that you need. He knows what is necessary for you to survive here on earth. However, He needs you to understand, like Mary of Bethany, that only one thing is necessary (read Luke 10:38-42). That one thing is to align yourself with divine intent.

For this, you need to let go of being religious, focus on God and fulfil the purpose for which you were created – serving Him, taking the path which He set, and living the life which He prearranged and made ready for you.

Start serving God and stop endlessly striving to get something from Him. You’re here to help Him as an integral part of His eternal plan. Ask God how you could be of service to Him.

Remember always that it’s His plan, His purpose and your privilege to be a part of it.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Purpose” © 2026 October 5, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

When the enemy is at the table

 

Faced with challenges of one sort or another, we pray asking God to take them away and there are times when He does and there are times when He does not.

Three times Apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove a thorn in [his] flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment [him] (ref. 2 Corinthians 12:7-8).

It’s not always God’s will to simply remove our enemy, as He chooses to try us and purify us by means of that enemy.

Sometimes it’s the only way to strengthen our faith and lead us into spiritual maturity; maturing can be very painful.

David must have understood this when he wrote You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Psalm 23:5). However, other verses in Psalm 23 reveal that that was not the only thing David understood.

Throughout this beloved psalm, David never once asked God to get rid of his enemy, in fact he acknowledged that his enemies were very present.

David knew that even though his enemies posed clear and present danger, the Lord being his Shepherd, he was well-protected and provided for. From the jump he made that declaration,

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.

David had an acute comprehension of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 (CEV),

Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell.

David did not have a fear of people but a reverential fear of God and that is why despite all that he’d done, God could testify that he was a man after my own heart (see Acts 13:22).

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

David obviously knew that he was from God and [had] overcome them, for he who is in [him] is greater than he who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4) so, he did not possess a spirit of fear and timidity but of power.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Unlike you and me, God’s Spirit, the Comforter, was not in David but was with David for he proclaimed to God, you anoint my head with oil.

In the ancient Middle East, the shepherd rubbed oil on his sheep to keep harmful pests, like flies, away; David considered himself the Lord’s sheep. In the Old Testament, to be anointed with oil is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We see in Psalm 133 that the anointing is correlated to the unity of spiritual brethren.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head

The Good Shepherd anoints His sheep with the Holy Spirit to protect us from the enemy, even in the presence of that enemy.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

God blesses us in the presence of our enemies.

That with the outpouring came the promise of lifelong Presence, was not lost on David; he had no doubt that God’s goodness, lovingkindness and steadfast love were his constant companions.

Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

Beloved, Psalm 23 is assurance that even when the enemy is at the table with you, there is no need to fear.

David was not fearful, because he was keenly aware of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him and was therefore confident of His presence.

After his transgression, as seen in Psalm 51, David beseeched God,

Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me

You are better off than David because the Holy Spirit is not just with you, the Holy Spirit, God’s own Spirit, lives within you because of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Please understand that fear causes you to feel disconnected; fear dampens your faith, spiralling you into a state of unbelief.

In fear is exactly where the enemy wants you to remain, as your own fear steals your reward (see Matthew 25:24-29) and makes you blind to your true spiritual authority and power.

There are no excuses for fear, even when the enemy is at the table, for the Spirit of God is in you.

So, beloved, keep walking through the sunless valley of the shadow of death without fear, confident that the light of the Comforter is shining from within you, His rod is protecting you and His staff is guiding you through.

 

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “When the enemy is at the table” © 2026 October 3, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Betrothal

 

Betrothal? I can almost hear some people’s questioning of this archaic word, which is defined as, a formal, mutual promise or contract between two people to get married in the future. In other words, it’s getting engaged.

Usually, before the proposal, the guy would go to the girl’s father to ask for her hand in marriage, once the father agrees, the guy would then propose, place a ring on the girl’s finger and that would signify that they’re engaged – a promise to marry.

Under our modern Western influence, there’s dating, engagement then marriage but in Jesus’ day in Israel, the tradition was, and still is in other parts of the world, slightly different.

Similarly, the guy would leave his father’s house to go to the girl’s father’s house but then he would offer her father a price to marry her. The two would then engage in haggling and only if they came to an agreement on the price, would it be paid and a covenant made.

Then, to seal the deal, so to speak, the groom and bride would drink from a single cup of wine; this symbolized their shared life of their new covenant. That was the betrothal.

Jesus’ promise to His disciples at the “Last Supper”, was also a betrothal.

There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. – John 14:2-3 (NLT)

Jesus left His Father’s house, came to our house on this earthly plain (see John 6:38 &16:28a) and paid a hefty price for His bride – the Church, us as a whole and us as individuals. The price Jesus paid to share His Life with you and with me, was His own blood.

When in Luke 22:20 (NASB), Jesus, in the upper room with His disciples, took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood”, He ratified the agreement with them and by extension all of mankind in a heavenly betrothal.

Beloved, even though Jesus paid the highest price possible for all mankind, it’s still up to mankind to accept His proposal. It’s still up to you and me to say “Yes” to Him.

To the members of the church in Ephesus, Apostle Paul wrote,

As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. – Ephesians 5:31-32 (NLT)

But you can’t be united into one with Jesus if you don’t accept that first step of betrothal. And if you have already accepted but find yourself sliding back, that’s okay because Jesus’ purchase makes provision for that too, once you’re willing to return to Him. After all, God Himself said,

“Return, faithless people…for I am your husband. I will choose you…” – Jeremiah 3:14 (NIV)

God has chosen you and will always choose you.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Betrothal” © 2026 October 3, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the Law

 

In Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae he wrote,

Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.

But what was he referring to? He was referring to the Law of Moses which Christ fulfilled when He was nailed to the cross. Yes, Jesus fulfilled that Law at Calvary yet we Christians are constantly trying to resurrect it in one form or another.

Understand that Colossians 2:14 isn’t a suggestion but a Truth; the law has been superceded by the New Covenant. So, why are so many still insistent on following the Law?

The Law of Moses was to reveal sin – it was a covenant of flesh; it exposed evil and the need for a saviour but was not intended then and is not intended now as a means of salvation.

Reading Deuteronomy chapter 28, we see that all the blessings and curses relate to things of this world. Only those who were able to observe and keep every iota of the law would receive it’s promises, otherwise it became a curse.

‘Cursed is the one who does not support this law and agree to obey it.’ – Deuteronomy 27:26 (ERV)

Even Paul had to remind the “foolish” Galatians of this fact,

But people who depend on following the law to make them right are under a curse. As the Scriptures say, “They must do everything that is written in the law. If they do not always obey, they are under a curse.” – Galatians 3:10 (ERV)

You see, even though the Apostle had told them very clearly about the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, it seemed that they had been bewitched into forgetting its meaning (see Galatians 3:1ERV).

Their belief was estranging them from Jesus as Paul pointed out,

If you try to be made right with God through the law, your life with Christ is finished—you have left God’s grace. – Galatians 5:4 (ERV)

Though the Law in itself was holy, righteous and good (see Romans 7:12), it was limited in its provision.

No one could keep this law unless they were a perfect person so, that counts every single human being out. The perfect Man fulfilled the law. The law was not partially dealt with as some want us to believe; it wasn’t divided, it wasn’t separated or portioned out.

Christ ended the law with its many commands and rules – Ephesians 2:15 (ERV)

With every nail piercing, Jesus took the law unto Himself. He totally and perfectly fulfilled the law.

Beloved, do not let anyone bewitch you. The Law of Moses became obsolete on the cross at Calvary. Following the law is to bring a curse upon yourself as you could never keep it. Following the law is a slap in Jesus’ face as, by doing so you are in effect saying that you do not believe the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus Christ’s death heralded a New Covenant of grace which is a greater law placed in your mind and written on your heart (see Jeremiah 31:33). This is the Law of Christ (see Galatians 6:2), the Perfect Law of Liberty.

But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard – James 1:25 (ERV)

Under this Law you must be led by the Spirit and not by religious ordinances penned by man.

Don’t let anyone convince you to follow any law of fleshly works, instead, dive deep into the Word for yourself under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that you may gain a better understanding of the incredible depths of what Jesus has already done for you.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Following the Law” © 2026 October 2, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Losing Jesus

 

Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. (Luke 2:44 NIV)

For three days Mary and Joseph could not find Jesus. The festival was over and they were on their way back home from Jerusalem. Eleven years they’d done this journey and were not in the habit of losing Jesus so, what changed?

For eleven years, Jesus was subjected to His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, but now He was twelve. A twelve-year-old Hebrew boy is a boy heading into manhood; a boy who, under Jewish law, is about to become Bar Mitzvah.

This age is the beginning of true understanding where the ability to think more deeply, morally and spiritually, is gained. At twelve, Jesus could now expose His authentic self. So, that’s why this Passover festival in Jerusalem was different.

That’s why Jesus was sitting in the Temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions (Luke 2:46 ERV).

That’s why Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and wise answers (Luke 2:47 ERV).

That’s why when Mary asked Him “Why…”, He could have answered, “Why did you have to look for me? You should have known that I must be where my Father’s work is.” (Luke 2:49 ERV).

After all they’d experienced and thought they knew, Joseph and Mary still did not understand what Jesus had meant. Mary was still thinking about all these things (Luke 2:51 ERV) on the journey home.

And though Jesus went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them (Luke 2:51 ERV), they were unaware that they were still losing Jesus.

You may be on your own spiritual journey for quite some time but now, it feels as though you’re losing Jesus so, what changed?

To you, there seems to be a disconnect but Jesus never walks away from us; He never turns away, He is, after all, Emmanuel, God with us, so it’s on you. What changed?

Think about it, reflect upon your life, for therein you just might find the answer.

Mary and Joseph didn’t lose Jesus for three days because they were irresponsible parents. They assumed that Jesus was in the caravan, among their family and close friends (Luke 2:44 ERV). They took His presence for granted, so they never bothered to check.

Don’t we also do that? Becoming so accustomed to the journey that we lose sight of Jesus? The danger being that we merrily travel along, unaware that Jesus is missing. Then when we do come to the realization that we no longer sense His presence, we start a desperate search for Him but in all the wrong places.

We seek His presence among family, close friends, priests and pastors, in church buildings and revival services but our relationship with Jesus is personal; it’s between you and Him.

Beloved, when busyness outweighs your Father’s business, when communication with Jesus is no longer a priority, when being a congregant is more important than being a convert, when proximity to Him is not paramount, when work is what you worship, when you desire dogma more than devotion and tradition over transformation, that’s when losing Jesus becomes your lot.

For three whole days, Jesus was where His Father’s work was. For three whole days Jesus was in the Temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions (Luke 2:46 ERV).

A three-day journey is symbolic of a progression toward a new spiritual beginning.

Before Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the multitude, they’d been in His presence for three whole days (see Matthew 15:32).

Before Moses threw a tree into the bitter waters of Marah to make it sweet to drink, the Israelites had travelled three whole days (see Exodus 15:22-27).

In both instances, after three days, spirits were revived.

Perhaps it’s time we each take our own three-day journey – three whole days of introspection  in our individual temples (see 1 Corinthians 3:16), spent in the presence of the Father, with the Holy Spirit, our Teacher (see John 14:26), listening and asking them questions.

 

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Losing Jesus” © 2026 October 1, 2026

 

 

 

 

A short prayer…

when you pray, I will listen – Jeremiah 29:12 (TLB)

Lord, thank You for this new day and for this new month ahead.

You tell me in Jeremiah 29:12, that when I pray, You will listen. Thank You for such a wonderful privilege.

May I be bold to come to You always and for every reason.  

Lord I do not know what the days ahead will bring or even today but I’m assured by Your Word in Isaiah 26:3, that when my mind is steadfastly focused on You and I commit myself to You, lean on You and hope confidently in You, You will guard me and keep me in perfect peace.

I thank You for that true peace that You give to me when I meditate on You, completely depend on You and trust in You.

Help me to not neglect to pray without ceasing and not just for myself but for others.

Show me what to remove from my schedule that may be a hindrance to my prayer life.

Thank You, Lord, for listening to all my prayers, those I utter aloud and those I say deep within my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “A short prayer…” © 2024 (18-03-2024) October 1, 2026

 

I Believe and therefore I Speak

 

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken. “Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, - 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV)

 

I believe and therefore I speak…

 

I am held by the loving hand of Divine Providence.

 

The miracles of God’s providence take place every single day of my life…thank You God

 

God governs all things concerning me and my family.

 

I never tire of doing what is good and right before my Lord, I persist and in His season, I bring in a great harvest! Hallelujah!!!

 

All God’s promises are sure – Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus! He will never open the womb and not deliver the baby!

 

I am fully assured that what God has promised He is able to perform.

 

Not one of God’s promises which He made to me will fail – all will come to pass

 

I will never stop believing God!!!

 

I receive my promised breakthrough and there is no other explanation but, God!

 

I thank You, Lord, for being on my side, strong and mighty…

 

When I pass through deep waters, God will be with me;
my troubles will not overwhelm me.
When I pass through fire, I will not be burned;
the hard trials that come will not hurt me. Praise God!

 

You have made me see hard times: I’ve experienced many miserable days,
but You will restore me again. You will raise me up from the deep pit. Hallelujah!

 

God brings His Restoration to pass!

 

Lord, thank You for making me new again…

 

God’s love for me never fails; God never fails me! God never forsakes me!

 

God remains faithful, He cannot deny Himself

 

I am living the Best Life because God is in control! Thank You Lord!

 

All the glory belongs to God!!!

 

I acknowledge God in all my ways!

 

I trust God with my whole heart!

 

God makes my paths straight!

 

I find favour and good success in the sight of God and man

 

In everything I do, I put God first, and He directs me and crowns my efforts with success.

 

God blesses me financially – there is no lack – I put my hope in God, who richly provides me with everything for my enjoyment…thank You Lord

 

God blesses the work of my hands, my hands are diligent, and so they bring wealth…thank You Lord

 

Lord, I thank You for opening the heavens, the store house of Your bounty, to send rain on my land in season and bless all the work of my hands – I lend to many nations but borrow from none…Praise God!

 

Lord thank You for sending me wealth – I will honour You with it

 

I do not wear myself out to get rich – God supplies ALL my needs, He is the only Source of my supply

 

My riches increase substantially and I do not set my heart on them – God gives me wisdom

 

I am that faithful and wise steward

 

I obey and serve God…I spend the rest of my days in prosperity and my years in contentment

 

I trust in the Lord therefore I prosper

 

Now I have everything I want – in fact I am rich. Yes, I am quite content, thanks to your gifts received; my God has supplied all that I need from His glorious resources in Christ Jesus; glory be to my God and my Father for ever and ever, amen!

 

I believed; therefore I have spoken.

 

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “I Believe and therefore I Speak” © 2016 September 30, 2026