An Everlasting Love

 

We are all familiar with John 3:16 as we should be, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (NLT) and though this is undeniable proof of God’s love for all people, He has been protesting His love for over thousands of years with several verses in Scripture that corroborate God’s everlasting love for His people.

One such verse, Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV) reads,

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”  

While this chapter is directed to Israel, it is relevant to all people even today. It is a declaration of God’s love for His people and reveals His heart towards us as He continues to draw all of us to Himself with unfailing kindness.

God’s love is not temporary. His love is not dependent on what we do. He is faithful in His love even when we are unfaithful in our love of Him.

This chapter in Jeremiah is a promise of the complete restoration of a people who, after God had redeemed them from bondage in Egypt and provided for them throughout their sojourn in the desert, defied Him by breaking the covenant He had made with them. They were rebellious at best and suffered punishment for it yet God, with an everlasting love, turned their mourning into gladness and gave them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Sometimes we, like the Israelites of old, cut ourselves off from the intimacy of God when we deem ourselves unworthy of His love because of sin, with its resulting guilt and shame.

We turn away from God, believing the lies that we tell ourselves, the lies that others tell us and the lies we hear from the world around us, and we cling to those things and those people who we hope will satisfy our need for the love we crave but no matter how hard we hold on to the what and the who, we are still left wanting.

But there is a new covenant to which we are bound, fulfilled by the One Who suffered punishment for all the sin of the entire world which includes yours and mine.

Your story hasn’t ended; sin, guilt and shame do not define you. God is pursuing you, but you just won’t allow Him to catch up. He is calling out to you by name, longing for you to turn back, see Him and hear Him saying to you,

“I have loved you with an everlasting love”

Beloved, God’s desire for an intimate relationship with you is evident, His expression of love for you cannot be denied, He longs to draw you to Himself. Won’t you open your heart to receive His love, an everlasting love like no other? You mean everything to God.

As you make your way through this Lenten season, remember God’s deep love for you, not the sin, not the guilt, not the shame, instead get ready to be fully loved just as you are, look back and turn back to Him calling out “Here I am! Ready to receive Your everlasting love.”

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “An Everlasting Love” ©2026 February 18, 2026

Doubting Jesus

 

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.  He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed. – Matthew 16:1-4 (ESV)

All too often we behave like the Pharisees and Sadducees always wanting a sign. This simply means that we’re doubting Jesus.

Gideon, doubting the word of God, asked for a sign (see Judges 6). Thomas, doubting Jesus, asked for a sign (John 20).

Gideon had heard time and time again of all God’s wondrous works, yet still he doubted that God would choose him. And Thomas, the Pharisees and the Sadducees had seen all of Jesus’ wondrous miracles, yet that was not enough for them, doubting Jesus, they wanted proof.

Don’t we do the same though? Aren’t we doubting Jesus? Always wanting proof that meets our expectations rather than taking Him at His word or reflecting on what He has already shown us?

We are always seeking proof of some kind instead of trusting God. He has already done so much yet we dismiss it all and require just a little more proof.

“God if this, then do that”

“Lord Jesus, if that, then do this”

Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we are doubting Jesus, His abilities and His authority. Loyal churchgoers, avid Word-readers yet blind to the spiritual, unable to properly interpret the signs of the times.

Beloved, stop waiting for a sign, stop doubting Jesus instead pay attention to the thread of His faithfulness woven into the everyday moments of your life. Jesus has already given us a spectacular sign in the sign of Jonah which symbolizes His death and resurrection. 

What more do you need? Isn’t that enough? No other proof of His love can be greater (John 3:16).

Jesus has already given us, all of mankind, everything.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Doubting Jesus” ©2026 February 15, 2026

 

Believe to See

The world says “Seeing is believing” but in God’s economy we have to believe to see. This is clearly illustrated in Matthew 20: 29 – 34 (ERV) when Jesus encountered two blind men seated on the roadside.

When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the road. They heard that Jesus was coming by. So they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, please help us!”

 The people there criticized the blind men and told them to be quiet. But they shouted more and more, “Lord, Son of David, please help us!”

Jesus stopped and said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

 They answered, “Lord, we want to be able to see.”

Jesus felt sorry for the blind men. He touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see. Then they became followers of Jesus.

Despite the crowd’s castigation of them, these two blind men did not let that deter them from seeking Jesus’ help.

They heard that Jesus was coming their way and put a plan into action. They could not see Him approaching but believed what they had heard.

Most of us always need to see before we believe however, sometimes God is leading us in the opposite direction where He wants us to learn to accept His promises as true before they’re manifested.

With Jesus standing right in front of him, Thomas, the disciple, still desired to see before he would believe.

A week later the followers were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  – John 20:26-27 (ERV)

Unlike Thomas, these men did not require any proof or signs in order to believe. Unlike Thomas, these two men did not know Jesus personally, but they knew of Him and were sure that He was able help them see. Unlike Thomas, these two men were not doubting but believing.

Persistent, they shouted and shouted and Jesus paid attention. He stopped. He asked. They answered, “Lord, we want to be able to see.”

Beloved, you may have your sight, but are you able to see? Perhaps you have not seen because you do not truly believe.

These blind men believed and Jesus did not hesitate to grant their request. His response was immediate. Feeling compassion for them, Jesus touched their eyes and gave them their sight. In turn, these two men, now able to see clearly, did not walk away from Jesus but became His followers.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? Have you been crying out to Him without a response? Perhaps He is waiting for you to believe to see.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Believe to See” ©2026 February 15, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confronting Confrontation

 

There are times we have to deal with people and situations face to face. We may not want to, but sometimes we haven’t an alternative.

The church at Corinth was plagued with problems, one of which was their struggle with carnality. And in that struggle, there was much confrontation amongst members. To deal with that situation, Apostle Paul was forced into confronting confrontation.

To prepare for this fight, I believe that Paul must have drawn from his store of spiritual knowledge on how to live from a place of victory. He would have taken possession of his soul and not allow his personal feelings towards the Corinthians, the members themselves or their actions, to dominate the situation at hand.

Confronting confrontation requires sobriety where the mind is clear, emotions are checked, biases pushed aside and prayer to bring the whole sordid affair under subjection to God.

At the end of his letter to the church, Paul wrote,

Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]. – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (AMP)

According to Paul, it is necessary to be razor focused on the task at hand. Distraction is not an option. But how do we get there?

Beloved, in confronting confrontation, it really all boils down to self-control or better yet soul-control; if you allow the body to take control, then eventually everything will end up out of control and that’s not where you want to be when addressing confrontational situations.

As you may already know, self-control is just one of nine elements that make up the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so, before confronting confrontation, look to the Spirit of God and follow His direction rather than the desires and temptations of your body.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Confronting Confrontation” ©2026 February 15, 2026

 

 

Relinquishing Your Power

 

Beloved, when you allow someone else’s wrongful treatment of you to remain a bastion in your life then you are relinquishing your power to that individual.

I am in no way trivializing trauma and abuse which are serious conditions that need to be properly dealt with due to their long-term emotional and psychological effects. Even if it is not deemed as serious as that, living in dysfunction because of another’s actions even after that person is no longer a part of your life is allowing them to have power over you. Don’t give them that power, take it back.

Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian church members said,

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (12:10 NIV)

On the surface, For when I am weak, then I am strong seems to make no sense, but Paul was saying that he was not dependent on his own strength, instead when faced with all kinds of troubles that he was incapable of handling, he was in the habit of relinquishing his power to Christ Jesus.

In Psalm 27 verse 1, the psalmist says, The Lord is the stronghold of my life, and you must do the same, recognizing that it is the Lord in whom your power rests. The psalmist, in the same verse, goes on to ask, of whom shall I be afraid?

When the Lord is your strength, you don’t have to live fearfully; you don’t have to settle for unhealthy relationships; you don’t have to suffer all the issues that dysfunction brings.

Place your trust in God at all times, He is the rock of your strength (Psalm 62:7 & 8); rely on Him and in the power of His might (ref. Ephesians 6:10).

It is not an easy road to walk and may not happen overnight, though with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Beloved, relinquishing your power to God does not make you weak, it makes you strong. So, keep trusting in God and in His power and not your own.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Relinquishing Your Power” ©2026 February 14, 2026

 

Walls

 

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. – Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

In Scripture, walls symbolize protection, particularly God’s protection so, when Solomon in his wisdom writes that a person who lacks self-control is like a city whose walls have been “broken through” what he is in fact saying is that person, by their inability to regulate their emotions, thoughts and behaviour, is easily manipulated and coerced into compromising their divine security.

The person who lacks self-control allows every negative word they hear and every trial that comes their way to affect their life. When you lack self-control, your walls collapse.

God does His part by providing His protection, but you have to take responsibility to ensure that your spirituality is not infiltrated.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways – Psalm 91:9-11 (NIV)

You must entrust your safekeeping to God. Look at what divine protection affords you when you declare that God is your security and you abide in Him. No outside forces can breach your walls.

The person who lacks self-control is not placing their trust in God but is allowing whatever is happening around them to govern their life.

When you place your trust in God, external circumstances will neither control you nor affect you.

Things happening outside of you do not have to become the things inside you. Poverty that surrounds you does not have to govern your life instead trust God and my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19 NIV).

The self-control that the bible talks about has nothing to do with not eating another slice of cake, that’s restraint, biblical self-control has to do with controlling your soul – feelings, thoughts, intentions.

Situations and people’s actions do not have to trigger a reaction from you. Isaiah 53:7 says about the coming Messiah,

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Adopt this as your mantra.

Beloved, when you’re surrounded completely by God’s protection there’s no fear of the walls being broken through by enemies. As He did with Job (Job 1), God places a wall of protection around those who love and acknowledge Him.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (Psalm 91:14 NIV)

These aren’t walls that we’ve built ourselves which are prone to breach and collapse, these are the fortified impenetrable walls of God; it’s being hedged by God Himself.

Placing your trust in God will keep your walls from being broken through and you can rest assured that the Lord will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8 NIV).

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Walls” ©2026 February 14, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

The Little Ones

 

The disciples had posed a question to Jesus (Matthew 18:1) and in responding to them He said,

“If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! – Matthew 18:6-7 (NRSVUE)

Then not long after that, in verses 10 through 14, Jesus told them a parable about a sheep that had gone astray; He said to them,

“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost”.

Matthew uses the terms “gone astray” and “went astray” in describing what has happened to this single sheep. It is interesting to note that the Greek word that was used in the original text is the verb “planao” which means to lead astray, deceive, wander or roam.

Now Jesus tells this parable to emphasize His point about causing the little ones who believe in Him to sin.

He compares the little ones who believe in Him to innocent, easily lead sheep. Matthew’s record of Jesus’ Lost Sheep Parable, unlike Luke’s of the same title, is not about a sheep that a shepherd lost but is about a sheep that someone has purposely lead astray through deceptive or misleading doctrine.

To have a better understanding, perhaps this verse should be translated as,

If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has been deceived, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that is deceived? 

This parable is about those who have been led away from the Truth and the church’s responsibility to care enough to seek them out; it’s about the church’s responsibility to bring its members, who may be deceived and mislead by false claims, back onto the right path doctrinally and theologically.

As a church what are we doing about the little ones?

Their angels continually see God in heaven, but it is up to the shepherds here on earth – priests, pastors, ministers, preachers – to go out and find those who have stopped coming to church or reach out to those who are seated in the pews but spiritually lost.

Sadly however, some members of the clergy fall into the category of those led-astray-sheep, lost and desperately in need of finding by a responsible shepherd.

Beloved, the truth is we all need to be more active in searching for the little ones who are lost; to make every effort to find and reclaim them for God. Our challenge is not only to seek but to take notice of who might have gone astray, even when immediately present.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Little Ones” ©2026 February 12, 2026