Justice was Served

 

I believe that many Christians have not understood that when Christ Jesus, the Lamb, was slain, all of humanity was justified.

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. – Romans 3:24-26 (NLT)

Justice was served and is still being served to this day. The redeeming work of Jesus’ death and His righteousness are the sole basis for God’s justice toward sinners.

God did this for all, however it is by faith that we receive this justice, when, by faith, we accept the work of Jesus at Calvary.

people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. – Romans 4:5 (NLT)

We must recognize that justification is an act of God where He remits sin in complete forgiveness. Forgiveness that is not unique to any particular group of people but is extended to everyone.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to see other persons as justified but we don’t. Church goers get upset for something as trivial as what someone is wearing or angry about what you believe or how you lead worship or if you sit in their spot in the pew and then they begin to complain and murmur. They go to church Sunday after Sunday vexed, bitter, resentful, with their hearts blistering with unforgiveness.

Reciting the Apostle’s Creed, responding to the preacher’s sermon in a chorus of “Amens” yet refusing to forgive their brothers and sisters, leaving their tainted gifts at the altar.

We have all sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23) so let’s not pretend. Throw off your cloak of self-righteousness. Let’s allow Christ’s love to control us; we must believe that Christ died for all, also we must believe that we have all died to our old life (ref. 2 Corinthians 5:14).

Understanding that He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them (ref. 2 Corinthians 5:15) is supposed to lead the believer into a new way of life.

Let us truly embrace this new life by coming out of our own flesh and stop regarding others according to the flesh.

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! (2 Corinthians 5:16).

The truth is, when you’re unwilling to forgive, you are still evaluating others from a human point of view; you are still thinking of Jesus in Human terms, and you don’t really know Him. You have not allowed Him to impact your reality.

Living with unforgiveness keeps you in a subservient reality. Subservient to your soulish impulses but not to Christ. This self-absorbed condition leaves you wanting and unfulfilled.

Unforgiveness is self-serving. It is having a victim mentality which, believe it or not, places you under the control of another human being, that is, the person you’re refusing to forgive.

Unforgiveness keeps you stagnant, it stimies your growth and you cannot enjoy the fullness of the life in Christ.

Beloved, holding onto offenses and seeking justice for someone’s ill-treatment of you is holding you captive. It’s time to forgive. You are one with Jesus, a new creation, so let go of the old judgmental ways where you are judge, jury and executioner (see Matthew 7:1). That is not your place. It’s time for you to come to terms with the truth that justice was served.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Justice was Served” ©2026 February 10, 2026

 

 

Worth a Reminder

 

When you begin your spiritual walk, one of the very first things that you are required to do is to engage in a period of forgiveness. How long this period lasts depends on the amount of people you need to forgive and the number of persons you have to ask to forgive you.

You think I’m joking? Ask anyone who is on their journey and they will confirm it.

Jesus told Peter that he must always forgive others, not just seven times but seventy times seven or, in some translations, seventy seven times (ref. Matthew 18:21-22).

And in Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV) Jesus said,

if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Yes, Jesus said to leave your gift at the altar and go engage in forgiveness first then come back. Jesus is letting us know just how important it is to forgive others. Forgiveness must be a priority. He knew the heavy price that unforgiveness carries.

As you may already know, when you harbour unforgiveness toward anyone, even if that person is someone from your past, you are the one who’s paying the price. You are the one in bondage. You are the one who is being held back from manifesting the fullness of God in your life.

I once read somewhere that when you are unforgiving it’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. This might have caused you and me to chuckle but it’s an apt analogy.

Chances are the person you’re holding in your mind doesn’t even remember his transgression toward you because he may not have realized that he had hurt your feelings or done anything untoward against you. Or if he knows, you still have to forgive that person. It is hard but it is necessary.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. – Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT)

Yes beloved, you must forgive others, otherwise you will hamper your spiritual walk; that’s why it’s one of the first requirements before you can move forward.

I know you have heard this forgiveness lecture before, but it is worth a reminder. We tend to forget to forgive when we get offended and are tardy in asking for others’ forgiveness when we offend.

Beloved, not forgiving is demanding a price for justice that has already been paid. God loves justice but it’s a far cry from the justice we love to seek. We pray, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12 NLT) while clinging to our debtors’ necks.

The simple truth is, you can’t live free when you are hanging a debt of unforgiveness over another. Your need for repayment will be demanded of you if you require it.

Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving debtor in Matthew 18:21-35 is worth a reminder, perhaps you should read it.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Worth a Reminder” ©2026 February 9, 2026

 

The Curtain

 

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh) – Hebrews 10:19-20 (NRSVUE)

The writer of Hebrews tells us clearly that “the curtain” represents Jesus’ flesh. Also, other translations instead of “the sanctuary”, have used “the Holy Place”, “the Holy of Holies” or “Most Holy Place”, that is the third and innermost room of the Tabernacle where God Himself is present and is accessible only to the High Priest.

The passage above shows us that Jesus isn’t only the curtain but is also the one who opens the curtain; the only one who had access into the innermost room of the Tabernacle was the High Priest, therefore Jesus is also the High Priest. He opens the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

Through Jesus’ atoning death we now have boldness and confident access to the Most Holy Place, (Ephesians 3:12), an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear according to the Amplified Classic Edition translation.

The curtain also represents any fleshly barrier between God and man. In the Tabernacle, the curtain was made of linen (Exodus 26:31), which is symbolic of righteousness but righteousness in the flesh, as in those days, the curtain also represented the Law of Moses which pertained to the flesh.

Now the Law could make no one righteous.

For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].  – Romans 3:20 (AMP)

So, something had to be done because only the righteous – those made right with God – could pass beyond the curtain.

This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:22-23 (AMP)

Since the curtain was the only way to enter, something had to happen to the curtain itself. The curtain had to be removed.

Keeping in mind that the curtain also represents Jesus, let’s read Matthew 27:50-51 (ESV),

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 

The curtain was torn from top to bottom. The curtain, our Lord Jesus, was the only one qualified to accomplish God’s plan of redemption. He had to be torn apart, for He was the only person on earth who was righteous in the flesh.

Hanging on the cross, He took all the sin of the world and suffered the agonizing tearing so that we could enter the presence of God as a gift of His grace.

being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus – Romans 3:24 (AMP)

We have been made right with God without any religious requirement on our part. There is no more curtain to pass through, the curtain has been destroyed.

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. – Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG)

Beloved, the way is clear for you to walk right up to God, but you need to tear apart the curtain that you’ve hung up so that you could enter into the fullness of His presence.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “The Curtain” ©2026 February 8, 2026

 

 

 

Also Crucified

 

Several times I’ve heard that we need to crucify our flesh and every time I’ve heard this it gave me pause. Because if we have to crucify our flesh daily then what did Jesus do for us on the cross?

Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 (AMP) said,

I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Paul explained that he had been crucified with Christ and in Him, the life he was living in the body thereafter was a life of faith in Jesus. 

Like the Apostle, our flesh was also crucified with Christ on that cross. When Jesus cried out “It is finished!” He was declaring that everything He had come to do was completely done including putting to death of the “corrupt ways of the flesh” (ref. Romans 8:13).

As God’s children we became co-heirs with Christ and everything that was never intended for us to be, was crucified with Him.

Just as we must work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12), we have to work out our crucifixion by the renewing of our minds, in effect our souls (Romans 12:2) and appropriate the finished work in our lives.

So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. – Romans 8:12-13 (AMP)

It is those fleshly impulses that we habitually do that undermine our efforts. Habits of the flesh – the sinful deeds of the body – are stored in the soul so a renewal or reprogramming is necessary. Remember, it is the soul that dictates the actions of the body or flesh.

Understand that living according to those impulses includes inclinations to religious legalism, and slowness in understanding the amazing power that was wrought at Calvary to remove all sin.

Yes, even followers of Christ create barriers that hamper proper communion with God. We confess to belief in Jesus Christ but then that confession remains in our mouths and is not effectuated in our deeds. The reality that our souls carry must be aligned with and governed by our confession.

As our flesh was also crucified, we need to leave the old habits on the cross for bringing what was into what is will only ruin the new.

No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins. – Mark 2:22 (AMP)

Beloved, it’s so important for you to grasp that Jesus completed everything and now you can participate in His triumph; you are His co-heir. You have access to all that He had access to while He lived on earth and can do all that He did and even more (ref. John 14:12) because He has given you His own Spirit who dwells in you, effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] (Philippians 2:13 AMP).

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Also Crucified” ©2026 February 8, 2026

Making a Gold Calf

 

Exodus 32:1 (EXB)

The people saw that ·a long time had passed and Moses had not [Moses delayed to] come down from the mountain. So they ·gathered [assembled] ·around [or against] Aaron and said, “[This man] Moses ·led [brought] us out of Egypt, but we don’t know what has happened to him. Make us ·gods [or a god; or an image of God] who will ·lead [go before] us.”

Moses had gone to meet with God on behalf of the people of Israel, but these people became weary of waiting his return so, they confronted Moses’ right-hand man, his brother Aaron.

As a man of God, what was Aaron to say, what was he to do?

Tell them be still and know (Psalm 46:10)?

Tell them to wait patiently for the Lord (Psalm 40:1)?

Tell them to wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)?

Tell them if it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time (ref. Habakkuk 2:3)?

Exodus 32:2 & 4 (EXB) gives us the answer,

Aaron said to ·the people [them], “·Take [Pull] off the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” He took ·the gold [it] from ·the people [their hands] and formed it ·with a tool [or in a mold] and made a ·statue [image] of a calf.

Then this High Priest of Israel went on to build an altar before the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a ·special feast to honor [festival for] the Lord.” (v5)

Right…

Clearly Aaron was just as impatient as all the people and his trust in Moses’ mission from God and in God Himself had begun to wane. Why else would he cave so easily to the demands of the crowd and not stand firm? Aaron’s belief and faith had wavered.

Oh beloved, human nature remains the same to this day. As people of God, how often does this happen to us? The answer, too often.

You receive a promise from God, but you think it’s taking way too much time to come down from the mountain so, you decide to make your own plan. You decide to manipulate a situation and perhaps confront a person in order to make things happen.

Seems like you’ve forgotten the countless times God has come through for you? All those times He brought you out of worse situations, led you out of Egypt? Yes, you fail to recall and to think of those times, instead you’re making a gold calf, creating a way out for yourself.

Pulling at this and that, listening to this one and that one and not remembering the vision God gave you, not your friends, not your family members, the vision He gave to you.

Beloved, today God is saying to you,

it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed. (Habukkuk 2:3 GNT)

So, don’t let your impatience lead you into making a gold calf, it may look good but it’s not the real thing. What God has planned for you is solid, real, lasting. God is busy causing everything to work together for your good (Romans 8:28) and that takes time. Put down whatever tools you’re using to form and mould your life into the image you believe it should look like.

You have surrendered to God, trust Him, He made the plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11), He made the way of escape from any and all situations (1 Corinthians 10:13). See what you’re going through as just that, something that you are going through, nothing remains the same (Ecclesiastes 3:1); this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble (2 Corinthians 4:17 GNT).

It may seem slow in coming but patiently wait, just wait because making a gold calf will only lead to a terrible outcome.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Making a Gold Calf” ©2026 February 6, 2026

 

 

What about the Book of Jashar?

 

There are 66 Books of the Bible and 9 of them have “J” names – Joshua, Judges, Job, Jeremiah, Joel and Jonah in the Old Testament and in the New, John, James and Jude. Jashar is not one of those books yet reference to the Book of Jashar, pronounced “Jay’shuh”, can be found in two verses in the Old Testament.

And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. – Joshua 10:13 (ESV)

and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” – 2 Samuel 1:18-19 (ESV)

So, what was this book and what was written in it? This called for some digging to find out about the Book of Jashar.

The writers of the books of Joshua and second Samuel thought it significant enough to quote from the Book of Jashar and today, without knowing it, we too have quoted from this book when we say, How the mighty have fallen.

The mere fact that the Book of Jashar was employed as a reference, not once but twice, is enough for us to presume that it was a well-known and respected narrative in the ancient world.

This book may no longer extant but on the basis of what was written in Joshua and second Samuel, it appears as though it may have been somewhat poetic while at the same time of a historical nature. Some scholars believe that its compilation began in the early stages of Israel’s history.

Though not mentioned, it makes one wonder if other writers of the Old Testament might have sourced material from the Book of Jashar.

Beloved, before you label me blasphemous or accuse me of peddling false doctrine, this is far from that. The Bible is indeed God’s Word, however there is evidence that other ancient Holy Spirit inspired texts existed, the Book of Jashar mentioned in these two passages attest to that.

Case in point, in 1947 shepherds discovered a collection of about 950 scrolls in caves in Qumran on the shore of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea scrolls, as they are called, consist of ancient Hebrew biblical manuscripts, sectarian documents and apocryphal texts, which most Christians hardly know anything about.

All this to say that it’s okay to refer to other Spirit inspired books, texts and documents to enhance your understanding of the bible.

Beloved, nothing can replace the Scriptures, but secondary resources can be quite useful in providing comprehensive context and deeper study of the Word. It is obvious that the Book of Jashar did just that.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about the Book of Jashar?” ©2026 February 5, 2026

 

The Fourth Cup

Deuteronomy 16:16 (AMP) reads,

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) and at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and at the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.

The Lord instituted three major feasts; these were all commanded as part of the Mosaic Covenant. Today our focus will be on the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover.

Passover is a commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt and the establishment of Israel as a nation by God’s redemptive act.

Now, contained in this feast are three feasts, so feasts within a feast: the Passover Night, The Feast of Unleavened Bread and The Sheaf of Firstfruits.

Our focus will be narrowed even further as we reflect on the Passover Night as it pertains specifically to the Last Supper.

The Feast of Passover in Hebrew is called Pesakh and the focus of the feast is the lamb.

As was and still is the custom, Jesus and His disciples would have eaten the Passover meal just after sunset. The scene must be seen from a Jewish perspective because that’s the only way it can be properly understood, so let’s start with the familiar image that has been seared into our consciousness where Jesus and the twelve are seated at a long dinner table.

This imagery is certainly not biblical as sharing a meal together was an act of intimacy, it denoted closeness; John 13:23 (NIV) attests to that, One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Instead of sitting upright and unconnected, Jesus and His disciples would have been on the floor, reclining around a triclinium, a low three-legged table, that accommodated the meal.

 Normally the centrepiece of the meal was the lamb, however, in the Gospel account there is no mention of a lamb at the Last supper, neither is there any mention of the bitter herbs (maror), the only similarity to the first Passover was the unleavened bread.

Also, Jesus introduced an element to the meal that was not a part of the original – wine.

Every omission and every addition to this Passover Feast which took place on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion was intentional. The absence of lamb is not insignificant as Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), He is the real lamb that was about to be killed. The bitter herbs that were also missing was a sign that Jesus would take all the bitterness upon Himself.

So now there is only the bread and the wine.

The unleavened bread. Have you ever seen bread made without any rising agents? It is very flat and with this particular Passover-meal bread, called matzah or matzo, it is punctured and lined, reminiscent of Isaiah 53:5 (AMP).

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our   injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

These days at the Passover meal, wine is drunk four times from a cup with each drink representing the four promises made by the Lord in Exodus 6:6-7.

I will bring you out – the cup of Sanctification

I will rescue you – the cup of Deliverance  

I will redeem you – the cup of Redemption

I will take you as My people – the cup of Praise 

The Passover cup which Jesus gave to His disciples to drink was symbolic of His approaching suffering and death. In Luke’s account it appears that Jesus Himself did not drink from that cup and certainly never drank the fourth cup.

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” – Luke 22:17-18 (AMP)

However, in Mark’s account Jesus says,

Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” – Mark 14:25 (ESV)

The fourth cup, symbolic of when the Lord takes us as His people had not and has not yet been fulfilled. He will not drink of the cup again until He returns.

The fourth cup, symbolic of when the Lord takes us as His people had not and has not yet been fulfilled. He will not drink the cup until He returns.

Jesus raised the cup before they ate and raised the cup after the meal saying,

“This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant [ratified] in My blood” – Luke 22:20 (AMP)

The Last Supper is filled with symbolism, symbolism that Jesus made clear as Luke 22:15-25 recounts. Jesus declared that the bread and wine were symbols of His body and blood.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life [which it represents].’  – Leviticus 17:11(AMP)

Beloved, Jesus is our Passover lamb, nowadays the entire feast represents what He did for all of humanity on the cross. Passover typifies the atoning sacrifice of our Lamb, Jesus. The price He paid in His body and His blood is symbolized by the bread and the wine. 

Jesus may not have drunk the fourth cup but the cup of judgment He drank became a cup of blessing to us all (Mark 14:36).

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Fourth Cup” ©2026 February 4, 2026

  

Who opened the Door?

 

I presume that we all know the account of Adam, Eve, the serpent and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that’s recorded in Genesis chapter two.

Maybe you can do with a brief reminder.

God formed Adam from the dust, planted a beautiful garden in Eden, including two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, then He placed Adam in the garden, charging him with its care.

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” – Genesis 2:16-17 (NRSVUE)

God then creates a companion for Adam, a woman who he eventually named Eve. They were living as intended until Eve had an encounter.

Long story short, the serpent enticed Eve into eating from the tree that God had commanded Adam not to eat from, then Eve gave its fruit to Adam and he ate as well. They were all reprimanded by God, a curse was placed on the serpent, Eve was promised exceedingly great pains during childbirth, and Adam, for his disobedience God said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:17-19 (NRSVUE)

God had set specific boundaries which Adam crossed by eating from the tree but more than that, Adam ignored the voice of God and listened to the voice of his wife instead. For Adam’s disobedience, God pronounced a judgement of “death”; that was never the original intention. Adam cracked open the door to mortality.

Adam’s was a transgression of God’s direct command but not a sin against the law, for sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. (Romans 5:13 NRSVUE). The commandments of Sinai were not yet in place.

God’s specific command was a “tsavah”, a directive from God that set boundaries, and not a “mitzvah” which refers to the Mosaic laws and obligations.

Our English rendering stands wanting as these distinctions matter. The original languages of Hebrew and Greek give a more comprehensive perspective of Scripture.

Adam’s and our failure to listen and obey God’s “tsavah” demands consequences so, as a result of their disobedience Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, forfeiting access to the Tree of Life which would have the benefits of immortality, instead their existence would continue through painful procreation.

Enter Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve’s first and second born sons. Cain is a farmer, a tiller of the ground and Abel a shepherd. Their story revolves around their acts of sacrifice to God and His response.

Abel’s sacrifice finds favour with God, but Cain’s offering did not. Cain became very angry and God said to him,

“Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” – Genesis 4:6-7 (NRSVUE)

Cain received a direct warning from God about sin. His father, Adam, received a direct command but this was a completely different kind of command and like his father before him, Cain ignored God, and succumbing to his anger, killed his younger brother in a jealous rage.

Then God, just as He had done with Adam, engages Cain in dialogue.

“Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! – Genesis 4:9-10 (NRSVUE)

Beloved, the Hebrew word used for blood here is in the plural, indicating that Abel’s “bloods”, that is his progeny with all their potential, was crying out; Cain had murdered Abel and every one of his descendants.

Adam cracked open the door, but Cain swung the door wide open. His failure to obey the voice of God and lack of repentance for his vile act was an act of rebellion. He opened the door for sin to come in and it spread like an epidemic.

Adam’s actions introduced mortality, sealing it into the human condition but Cain caused sin to master him and in so doing he was the one, not his father, who opened the door to the sin that was lurking, lying in wait for a moment like this.

Adam introduced sin through his transgression but his son Cain, by his iniquity, unleashed sin and made death our fate.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned – Romans 5:12 (NRSVUE)

Sin entered and death followed immediately after.

Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good. – Romans 12:21 (AMPC)

Cain might have been the one who opened the door, but God had a plan to close it.

Enter Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.– John 3:16 (NRSVUE)

Jesus, through His death and resurrection, closed the door!

Jesus overturned the certainty of mortality, restored access to what the Tree of Life signified, and conquered death (ref.1 Corinthians 15:26).

so that, just as sin reigned in death, so grace might also reign through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:21(NRSVUE)

Beloved, Cain spread the reign of death and Jesus Christ reopened the way of life for He is the Way, and the Truth and the Life (ref. John 14:6).

I shall end today’s reflection with a line from one of Charles Wesley’s hymns, A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Who opened the Door?” ©2026 February 3, 2026

 

 

 

The Land of Nod

 

Cain, in anger, kills his younger brother Abel. God, even before that had said to Cain, if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7 NRSVUE) but he had no regard for God’s warning and opened the door for sin to enter and sin mastered him.

Cain’s offering exposed the condition of his heart, and it wasn’t right, it harboured evil (ref. 1 john 3:12).

After that whole unfortunate incident, Cain, when confronted by God, denies his act of murder, and the fact that he shows no signs of repentance added to his guilt; he just lacked a right disposition toward God.

Cain was a man of the soil, that was his calling – a tiller of the ground, and his brother’s blood cried out to God from that same ground (ref. Genesis 4:10), not for forgiveness but for retribution. Hebrews 12:24 says that Jesus’ blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel because it is His blood that provides forgiveness.

Photo courtesy O'Reilly Lewis

God said to Cain,

“And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” – Genesis 4:11-12 (NRSVUE)

The punishment was more than he could bear, and Cain immediately realized that separation from God’s immediate presence was an inevitable consequence of the choice he had made in anger.

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry – Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)

Descent into sin caused Cain’s banishment from a partially spiritual way of life into a purely physical existence. Cain lost much more than his calling in his turning away from the manifested presence of God, he lost his ability to sense the spiritual.

Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. – Genesis 4:16 (NRSVUE)

Understand that by this time, Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel had already been exiled from the Garden, they had already journeyed eastward, away from their place of orientation with no chance of returning, so intentionally stating the direction that Cain headed must not go unnoticed as east is symbolic of going away from God.

Putting in that titbit even after we’re told that he went away from the presence of the Lord emphasizes the fact that he was now completely disoriented, totally gone with no turning back. Cain was truly gone out of God’s presence, yet a merciful God still afforded him protection.

Verse 16 also lets us know that Cain settled in the Land of Nod. There is so much imbedded in this one verse.

You see, the location of Nod is unknown, all we know is that it was east of Eden.

Look at what Cain says to God just before he went away from His presence,

I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, 

 Beloved, the Hebrew word for “wanderer” is “nod”.

Could it be that the Land of Nod was not a physical location but a physical condition that describes Cain’s state of being after departing God’s presence? Could the Land of Nod be Cain’s judgment as a fugitive? To be a wanderer on the earth, separated from God was indeed Cain’s awful fate the result of the seductive whisper of sin.

Nod isn’t a place but a punishment.

Cain entered a state of homelessness. He did not settle in a town, village or country, Cain became a wanderer, a drifter roaming around with no fixed destination and worst of all, no spiritual connection.

Separated from God, Nod was Cain’s condition.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. – Isaiah 59:12 (NRSVUE)

This is exactly what Cain expressed to God out of pusillanimous fear when he said, “I shall be hidden from your face”; this was his own doing, he incurred this punishment, the result of succumbing to the seductive whisper of sin.

Beloved, Cain had a choice as we all do. We can do the right thing or not. Sin is always lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. Sin is lying in wait, and it does require much effort not to succumb to its seductive whisper. But what is the alternative? Heading east of Eden to settle in the Land of Nod? The choice is yours.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Land of Nod” ©2026 February 3, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Populated with Praise

 

We are still on the topic of praising God, so clearly there is something that God wants us to get that we haven’t quite got yet. God wants us to truly understand this spiritual weapon of mass destruction that we can load deep into our souls then use our mouths to shoot it out.

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) states that the tongue has the power of life and death, which means that what we say can produce life or cause death. We can either give life to a situation or kill it. Too often we choose to give life to things we ought to be putting an end to. When we offer praises to God, we infuse our circumstances with the One who not only gives life but is Life, the Source of all that exists.

Praising God magnifies Him, making Him bigger until He looms over your life, overshadowing your circumstances and situations.

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30 ESV)

St. Kitts photo courtesy O'Reilly Lewis

We need all the areas of our lives to be populated with praise. To populate means to fill or be present in a place or sphere, to settle in a place, to live, to occupy.

Now, even more than ever, our lives require a population growth of praise.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4 NASB)

Notice the behaviours that Paul tells Timothy will be an indication of terrible times. Paul lists ungrateful just before unholy and he goes on to say that people will have a form of godliness but deny its power. My goodness, we are seeing this play out every day.

Ingratitude is one of the blights that have corrupted humanity, humans are a thankless species and it’s spilling over into our attitude toward God, we show no gratitude towards one another and certainly we aren’t thankful to God. Being ungrateful has led to our becoming an unholy society that has no interest in praising God.

You see, thankfulness gives rise to praise, if there’s no gratitude there’ll be no praise.

let us always bring God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess his name (Hebrews 13:15 ISV).

Beloved, praise will never well up from inside you if you don’t even acknowledge or appreciate the good things God has done in your life. You won’t even take the time to think on these things, instead you’ll wake up, get out of bed and hurry off to do your thing, preoccupied with everything else but God.

It cannot continue like this beloved, it just can’t, you can’t.

If you’re looking for explosive results that will positively affect your life, then you have to look up – praise God, glorify and magnify Him. You cannot afford to forget God’s benefits.

The truth is, we just don’t remember but we must make a conscious decision to remember and to glorify God through praise. God is still good no matter what and He deserves your sacrifice of praise.

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:2 NIV)

Look at the world today, times are bleak, but what is happening in the population does not have to adversely affect you, you have to populate your space with praise and when your spaces are populated with praise, you become a conductor of God’s miraculous power.

Can you imagine what would happen if an entire population got together in one accord and used the power of their tongues to praise God, their spaces will become populated with praise and what that outcome might look like?

Beloved, it’s not far-fetched; ever heard of Jehoshaphat?

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:22 NIV)

Faced with what was to them an impossibility, was nothing for God to accomplish, but only after King Jehoshaphat and all who lived in Judah and Jerusalem began and continued to sing His praises. God destroyed and annihilated the problem on their behalf, they did not have to fight.

Beloved, it’s not far-fetched; ever heard of the wall-enclosed city of Jericho?

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:20 NIV)

After marching around Jericho for six days in silence, on the seventh day, those fortified walls were no match against God’s strength, they crumbled right in front of them. Sometimes we have to silently wait on God as we allow Him to do whatever He needs to do before we start shouting His praises. But when our spaces and places are populated with praise problems crumble right before our eyes.

What does Psalm 91 verse 8 ESV translation say?

You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense

And that is God’s promise to you.

Beloved, every five minutes you spend griping and complaining is five minutes of your life wasted; your precious time will be better spent praising God with your entire being, making sure that your place or sphere is properly populated with praise.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Populated with Praise” ©2026 February 2, 2026

 

Created to Praise

 

The psalms, whether written by David, Solomon, Moses, or the sons of Korah, reflect the circumstances these psalmist were facing in their lives – pain, sorrow, war, fear, abandonment, joy, despair, elation, gratitude and praise were all expressed in beautiful lines of poetic song, laid out for us to garner encouragement in our own times of similar circumstance.

The last verse of the last chapter in the Book of Psalms says,

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:6 (ESV)

However, we tend to dole out the phrase, “Praise the Lord” like a mantra that is not necessarily heartfelt but more of a rote reflex action.

“Praise the Lord” flies out of our mouths as just another thing to say without any regard for God.

I was once introduced to a lady who, stretching out her hand towards mine, smiled then uttered a shallow overused “Praise the Lord” as if it was some sort of mindless disingenuous salutation.

Beloved, “Praise the Lord” isn’t a catch phrase to be bandied about like a frivolous greeting, it’s an expression of exaltation of God which ascribes glory to Him and when you offer genuine praise to God it stabilizes and strengthens your roots in Him, so that when the storms of life are raging you’ll stand firm, shaken perhaps but immovable.

Like the psalms, the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn are still so relevant for us today.

Through all the changing scenes of life,
in trouble and in joy,
the praises of my God shall still
my heart and tongue employ.

In spite of all that’s happening around you, praise the Lord!

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. – Psalm 34:1 (ESV)

Beloved, you were created to praise (ref. Isaiah 43:21); praising God is your source of spiritual nourishment. You must saturate the atmosphere with praise; populate your home, your office, your environment, your entire life with praise. Delight in giving Him praise for whatever you delight in will determine your direction.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Created to Praise” ©2026 February 1, 2026

 

 

 

Short and Powerful

 

The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117; with just two verses this short and powerful psalm is easy to commit to memory. The New International Version reads,

Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord.

These two verses reveal the heart of God toward all people.

God’s universal call to worship encourages us not just to praise Him but to praise Him enthusiastically. God knows the power of praise and wants His praise to be always on our lips (ref. Psalm 34:1).

God’s invitation is not limited to any one nation or set of people it is a call to all; creed, nationality and race do not matter, it is universal.

God’s plan was always a global one, extended to all mankind. After all, God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34 AMPC) and neither should we. We should see every person as someone God invites to worship Him and never discriminate.

Most people do not realize just how powerful praising God is; like effective fervent prayer, praising God avails much.

David, a man after God’s own heart, in Psalm 22 verse 3, lets us know that God inhabits our praises. Do you truly understand what that means? When you praise God, He occupies your praises, praise manifests His presence.

Paul, Silas and their fellow inmates found out that praising God is an earth shattering chain breaker (ref. Acts 16:25-26).

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6 HCSB).

Beloved, you are breathing so praise the Lord. Praise Him with your whole self.

In this short and powerful two-verse psalm, David assures us of God’s unfailing love for us, and it is because of His great love toward us that He has provided us with a weapon to attack our problems. We should be so grateful.

Once upon a time, while working at a bank, I was transferred from a branch I loved to a particular branch to do a job that the manager there had earmarked for one of her favourites – a young lady who was a member of a clique or more appropriately, a coven led by this manager. Needless to say, I was unwelcomed and they purposely set out to make my work life very difficult.

I engaged in fervent prayer, pouring my soul out to God night after night then one night, as I lay on my bed exhausted from praying, Spirit spoke.

From tomorrow, the moment you enter the branch start praising God, and every time any one of them walks past your desk say “Praise God”; it doesn’t have to be loud, but it must leave your lips. Don’t say it in your mind, let it leave your lips.

Because of where my desk was positioned, every single employee had no choice but to walk in front of me to get to their stations, every cashier, every supervisor, every counter clerk, the messenger, the tea lady, the cleaner, the guard and the manager were all required to walk past me every single morning. I was always at work before them and as each member of the coven slithered past, I whispered, “Praise God”.

After 9 months of God’s praise being continually in my mouth, I was called into the manager’s office and handed a letter, it was sent via fax from the HR Department at Head Office. I read it, not only was I transferred to the Payroll Department at Head Office, but it was “with a view to promotion”. Silently I praised God for His love and faithfulness toward me.

The news travelled through the branch like dry leaves on fire. From the manager to the guard, all hissed their displeasure. One of the coven members was nominated to approach me to ask if I requested a transfer, my response was a resounding “yes!” then softly but loud enough for her to hear I said, “but not from whom you think” and smiled. A look of confusion straddled her face, then she walked away towards the supervisor’s desk where others were gathered, I was certain it was to relay my answer.

we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you (2 Chronicles 20:12 ESV)

Beloved, the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever…Praise the Lord! In the midst of conflict don’t fight, praise God instead and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf (v 17).

Etch the words of Psalm 117 into your soul and enthusiastically praise God for He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things (Psalm 107:9 ESV).

Praise God!

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Short and Powerful” ©2026 January 30, 2026

Remind your soul

 

Photo by Chionsu Barclay

These days, with job losses, increases in the cost of living, and leadership throughout the world that appears to be self-centred and schizophrenic at best, if not for all people, certainly for a lot of people, life is uncertain and God seems to be afar off somewhere. David was experiencing similar circumstances when he wrote Psalm 63.

Psalm 63 refers to a time when David was in the wilderness in Judah. I have extracted verses 1, 6, 7 and 8 as the focus for today’s reflection.

O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.

I lie awake thinking of you,
    meditating on you through the night.

Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
    your strong right hand holds me securely.

David was experiencing inner struggle due to his circumstances, but he did not let it overtake him. Instead of succumbing to the rigours of the parched and weary land where there is no water, David takes responsibility for what is happening inside him and begins speaking to himself, not about the circumstances but reminds his soul of God his Helper.

It did not matter how it looked, or how he was feeling, what mattered to David was to focus on God; to think of God, meditate on God, and cling to God. David remembered all that God offers.

David reminded his soul that it was in God that his security laid.

Beloved, you too must do the same. Remind your soul that your security is not in your bank account, your job or the world’s economy, it is God who holds you securely in His strong right hand.

Keep God’s benefits in mind. As David said in Psalm 103:2 (NLT), may I never forget the good things he does for me, then he lists out all those good things in the successive verses of his song.

Reminding yourself of what God has done and not falling prey to your circumstances is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Emotions are adaptive so they can be controlled. Solomon, in his great wisdom tells us that it is better to have self-control than to conquer a city (Proverbs 16:32 NLT); this has more to do with inner transformation than outward restraint, therein lies your strength.

Hebrews 4:15 (NLT) says,

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Jesus, in His humanity faced more challenges than we could ever endure, yet He did not allow the things happening outside Him to affect what was inside Him. The offense levied on Him, the insults spewed towards Him, the judgments cast upon Him never caused Jesus to return the favour.

We need to understand who we are as sons of God, as Jesus knew who He was as the Son of God. Now, you might be saying, “But I’m only human, I’m not Jesus”, you are absolutely correct but He was human and demonstrated how to walk and move as a son of God. Take a good look at Jesus, not in a wristband WWJD way, but to really see Him and imitate Him under the tutelage of His Spirit.

Beloved, Jesus took full responsibility for His soul and its condition, not that He did not wrestle within His human state, for we see Him in the Garden at Gethsemane doing just that but He knew in whom His security lay and reminded His soul as He brought His soul and His circumstances under the subjection of God the Father, declaring Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39 NLT).

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Remind your soul” ©2026 January 29, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

A Necessary Wrestling Match

 

Have you ever felt as if life is just beating up on you? Like no matter what you do it’s a struggle? You’re in a wrestling mismatch because you’re not winning?

Jacob found himself in a wrestling match but before getting into it, here’s the back story, which you probably already know, to give you some context.

Okay, so long story short…

Abraham’s son Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. The younger of the two, Jacob, which means “he will follow”, “he will take a heel” or “he will supplant, deceive”, was given this name because he grabbed his older brother’s heel at the time of their birth. The name in Hebrew, Yah-kobe, is from the root “akab” which refers to a heel.

When the second baby was born, he was holding tightly to Esau’s heel. So that baby was named Jacob. (Genesis 25:26 ERV)

After they were grown, Jacob conned Esau, the first-born, into relinquishing his birthright to him for a bowl of Lentil stew (see Genesis 25:29-34). Esau favoured his belly more than his rights as the first-born son.

Isaac loved Esau, while Rebekah preferred Jacob and that’s where the real bacchanal started. You see Esau as the first-born was to receive a divine blessing conferred on him by his father, Isaac but Rebekah, overhearing a conversation between father and his first-born son, devised a scheme to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob instead (see Genesis 27).

The deception worked and Jacob obtained the blessing meant for Esau. This resulted in a yearslong animosity between these twin brothers.

So, baby Jacob from the womb, tries to usurp his brother’s “first-born son” privilege. Later, he exploits his brother’s hunger and cons him out of his birthright after which he deceives his blind father, invoking the Lord in order to corroborate his lie, to steal his brother’s God ordained blessing. Jacob wrestled God’s blessing from Esau.

Jacob’s life was thereafter marked by lies of his own making; he lived up to his name as supplanter, living life in his own strength through manipulation and deceit. Conniving and conning his way into acquiring worldly blessings from man.

My goodness. And imagine this sort of thing still happens today.

People scheming and lying to get that which is not meant for them or which they are not entitled to.

Anyway, there came a time when there was going to be a planned encounter between the two brothers (Genesis 32:1-6).

Not surprisingly, Jacob was scared out of his wits to meet Esau and prayed to God (see Genesis 32:7-12). He then prepared gifts for Esau, sent his family away and remained alone. That night, Jacob had an encounter before the planned encounter.

And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. (Genesis 32:24 ESV)

Jacob and this unknown man were in a wrestling match all night. Eventually, when the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (v 25-26)

Who was this man, Jacob may have thought.

Then the man asked Jacob his name and he told him, then the man said (v 27-28),

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

Jacob had been in an all-night wrestling match with God! A damaged hip, a name change, the realisation that he had seen God face to face, and yet [his] life [had] been delivered (v 30)? This was not without reason.

For years I could not understand how Jacob could have won this wrestling match with God, surely to wrestle with God would be a mismatch in God’s favour. But then I realised something and maybe you realised it too.

In verse 26, when the man told Jacob to let him go and Jacob refused, it wasn’t that Jacob won the bout, he simply continued to cling to the man refusing to let go not because he knew it was God but because he was up to his old tricks of obtaining a blessing any way he could and for this Jacob ended up with his hip being put out of joint.

Beloved, God’s blessing does not come through deception or by force. Jacob ended up with a crippling in his hip socket and probably a lifelong limp; you are always rewarded for your actions right here on earth, whether those actions are good or bad the reward will be congruous with the action.

God’s blessings come only by His initiative; it’s not through scheming or schmoozing or conning or cunning or trying to control outcomes.

Yet still, because God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), the blessing Jacob stole from Esau was honoured however, for it to take effect, the means by which it was acquired had to be transformed and that could have only been accomplished by a necessary wrestling match with God; it was then and is now, only by honest dependent struggle with God Himself.

It’s no coincidence that Jacob meets God and receives His blessing in the right way just before he is to meet Esau, from whom he received the blessing in the wrong way.

After wrestling with God Jacob is unable to stand on his own all he could do is cling to God and then and only then does he acquire a new identity, God gives him a new name and he becomes Israel, “he will rule with God”.

Beloved, transformation comes through surrender. God does not want to hurt you but just as He did with Jacob, He wants to change how you walk and move; He wants you to stop trying to control outcomes and cling to Him in a necessary wrestling match.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “A Necessary Wrestling Match” ©2026 January 29, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventy Times Seven

 

The ancient world was not ignorant about the deep spiritual meaning of numbers, however much superstition has been attached and ascribed to numbers and not without reason as for centuries, occult practitioners of numerology, recognizing the spiritual symbolism that numbers carry, have perverted their use.

Numbers can be found throughout the Scriptures so let us not allow the perversion of what God intended detract from the fact that He placed special meaning upon numbers.

Delving into the importance of their use in Scripture is certainly not an invitation into divination but to see the glory of God through His unique use of numbers. God has invested divine properties in numbers and has intentionally placed them in His Word.

The association of numbers to occultism and numerology has made us ignore the special meaning attached to them by God and has caused us to by-pass the spiritual significance of numbers that the ancient world understood.

Take for instance Apostle Peter’s concern regarding forgiveness, he obviously understood the significance of the number seven when he posed a question to Jesus in Matthew 18:21(AMPC).

Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?

When Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! (v 22), it was not an arbitrary response. Jesus wasn’t giving Peter a lesson in multiplication or merely using a random large number to signify forgiveness.

Seventy times seven is four hundred and ninety, 490, which represents a time of grace, the end of which results in the termination of sin.

Jesus was alluding to Daniel’s prophecy (see Daniel 9:24-27) in which “weeks” signify a period of seven years, making 70 weeks, seventy times seven.

“God has allowed 70 weeks for your people and your holy city, Daniel. The 70 weeks are ordered for these reasons: to stop doing bad things, to stop sinning, to make people pure, to bring the goodness that continues forever, to put a seal on visions and prophets, and to dedicate a very holy place.  (Daniel 9:24 ERV)

Beloved, there is so much more to this number and other multiples of seven which can be found in several passages in both the Old and New Testaments but that is not what today’s reflection is about. The aim of this brief post is simply to show you that the numbers in Scripture have purpose and should not be by-passed or ignored. So, pay attention to the numbers.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Seventy Times Seven” ©2026 January 27, 2026