Yield to Wield

If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
- John 14:14

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Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

In the hours before His crucifixion, Jesus gave His disciples the right to use His name. That right reaches far beyond a formula for answered prayer or a blessing spoken over a meal. It is a privilege rooted in the New Covenant, established by His blood and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9-11 that God highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him the name above every name. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Every knee. Every realm. Every opposition. Everything bows to His name. And He has entrusted His name to us.

Praying in the name of Jesus means confidently approaching the Father, boldly confronting the enemy, and facing every situation in light of who Jesus is rather than who we are. His name is the foundation for our prayers, declarations, and assurance. We come in His righteousness, stand on His Word, and speak with His authority.

A powerful illustration appears in Acts 3:6. Peter said to the lame man who was sitting at the gate called Beautiful, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!" Peter wasn't asking. He declared God's heart to that man. Then he reached out his hand and lifted him up, fully expecting something to happen because he understood the authority of the name he bore.

Colossians 3:17 gives us wisdom for how to use His name: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Whatever you do. Every conversation. Every decision. Every bold declaration. And do it with thanksgiving, for gratitude strengthens faith and keeps our hearts anchored in Him.

Be bold. Use the precious gift God gave you. Speak the name of Jesus over your family, your health, your finances, your work, your schooling, your future, and your calling. Speak His name over the places the enemy has attacked and continues to attack. Speak His name over your friends, your community, and the areas where passivity has taken root, passion has faded, or faith has grown dormant.

When we speak and act in the name of Jesus, we affirm our identity in Him and acknowledge all He has accomplished through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. His name signifies healing, freedom, and victory. It is the authority of the New Covenant and a declaration that we belong to Him. His name is far more than a word we speak. It reveals who He is and all He has accomplished. Through His grace, He has shared His identity and authority with us. What a gift. What a privilege. What a powerful name.

Many Blessings, BW

He also had Aaron’s sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot…
- Leviticus 8:24

Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

In the Old Testament, Moses consecrated priests by applying blood to their right ear, right thumb, and right toe, symbolizing their dedication to what they hear, what they do, and where they go. He then applied oil, revealing God's pattern: first the blood, then the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Applying the blood of Christ may seem strange to modern minds, yet it is one of the foundational truths of our faith. That truth began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. For the first time, they experienced fear, shame, and separation from His presence. They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, a picture of human effort and self-protection. But God made garments of skin for them (Genesis 3:21), implying that an animal died and shed its blood. From the beginning, God revealed that true covering would come through sacrifice, ultimately directing us to Jesus Christ.

Israel’s exodus from Egypt provides another powerful picture. Before leaving Egypt, God instructed the Israelites to apply the blood of a lamb to their doorposts. Every home marked by the blood was spared from judgment (Exodus 12:23 — 27). The blood became the sign of God's protection, deliverance, and redemption, pointing once again to Jesus, the true Lamb of God.

Today, we do not literally apply blood to our doors or bodies, but we apply the blood of Jesus by faith. We can pray, "I place the blood of Jesus over this situation," or, "I cover my family with the blood of Jesus." These are not magical words but expressions of confidence in what Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection.

Luke 15:22 gives us a beautiful picture of what His blood has accomplished. When the prodigal son returned home, his father said, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet." The robe covered his shame, the ring restored his identity as a son, and the sandals prepared him to walk as a member of the household once again. Through the blood of Jesus, we too are clothed in His righteousness, welcomed into the Father's family, and empowered to walk in newness of life.

The blood’s beauty: its effectiveness never depends on our perfection or worthiness. It rests entirely on who Jesus is and what He accomplished on the cross. We can come to Him with our doubts, fears, and brokenness, knowing His blood is sufficient.

The blood of Jesus speaks of forgiveness, redemption, protection, restoration, and covenant love. Because of it, we are no longer hiding from God. We are covered by His grace, welcomed into His presence, and empowered by His Spirit to walk with Him each day.

Many Blessings, BW

And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river.
- Ezekiel 47:6

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Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

Ezekiel 47 reveals a river flowing from God's house, a spiritual reality every bit as real as the physical world around us. The Bible describes Ezekiel's experience in vivid detail, emphasizing that the spiritual realm is not imaginary or symbolic. This river is real, more real than any earthly river because it flows from the presence of God Himself.

The river begins at ankle depth, gradually deepening to knee depth, then waist depth, and finally swelling into a river no one can cross. This progression mirrors our spiritual growth in Christ. At first, our faith influences our walk, touching our ankles. As we grow, the water reaches our knees, speaking of prayer, worship, and surrender. As the river rises to our waist, it points to fruitfulness, strength, and multiplication.

But God calls us to go even deeper. The final stage plunges us into a river too deep to stand in or even cross, a place where we must surrender completely to its current. That surrender is a picture of our full yielding to the Lord. In the deepest place, we stop trying to manage our lives and the river; instead, it carries us.

In these deep waters of surrender, we begin to perceive what we could not see before. We gain a fresh perspective on the Father's heart and the beauty of Jesus, and we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. Natural observation alone can no longer limit us. We discern the spiritual realities that lie beyond what our physical eyes can see.

After Ezekiel saw the river's source and experienced its depths, the Lord asked him an intriguing question: "Have you seen this?" (Ezekiel 47:6). Was God simply making sure Ezekiel was paying attention? Perhaps. But the question also reminds us that the Lord wants His people to see what He is doing. The Holy Spirit longs for us to pay attention to heavenly realities. They are not distant promises reserved for another age. They are accessible, present, and available to us now.

Then the Lord directed Ezekiel's attention to the riverbanks, where life flourished wherever the water flowed. Trees lined the shores in abundance, bearing fruit for food and leaves for healing. That image points to Revelation 22:2, where the tree of life bears fruit each month, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.

The river ultimately leads us to Jesus Christ. He is the true Temple and the Door. From His pierced side flowed blood and water, revealing the source of life for all who believe (John 19:34). Through Him, the River of Living Water, the Holy Spirit, now flows to and through His people.

Because the Spirit now flows through us, Paul urges us to "set your minds on things above" (Colossians 3:1-3). Our attention shapes much of our experience. As we fix our eyes on Christ and immerse ourselves in His river, we discover the life, fruitfulness, and healing that flow from His presence.

Many Blessings, BW 

But now, LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter, And all of us are the work of Your hand.
-Isaiah 64:8

Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

Reading Paul’s letters in the chronological order he likely wrote them reveals a beautiful truth. Over time, we see a growing clarity in how he speaks about God as Father. This discovery feels like a journey, not just his, but one that reflects our own. We are not only learning to believe in God, but to live as His sons and daughters.

Paul’s earliest mention of God as Father is simple and personal. He writes to the Thessalonians as those “in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:1). Right from the beginning, Paul’s focus is on identity and belonging. This is where our understanding starts. We are welcomed, loved, and placed in Him before we ever do anything for Him.

Paul also shows us that faith begins with God, not with us. In 1 Thessalonians 3:11, he prays, “Now may our God and Father Himself direct our way to you.” In this passage, we see a Father who is near, involved, and attentive. He is not distant. He is personally leading and caring for His people.

As Paul continues walking with God, the Holy Spirit reveals a deeper truth. The same closeness Jesus has with the Father now belongs to us. Paul uses one word to capture it: Abba. “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Galatians 4:6).

This phrase is not formal or detached but is close, personal, and full of trust. Knowing God as Abba is at the core of real faith. The Holy Spirit teaches us to come to Him with confidence, not striving. We do not have to earn His love or prove ourselves. We speak to Him as children who already belong, are already loved, and are already held.

By the time Paul writes from prison, his understanding overflows into the act of worship. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Even in chains, Paul’s words are full of joy. He is not reaching for a blessing but is resting in what the Father has already given.

When we begin to live from that place, our hearts shift within us. The pressure to perform starts to fade, and peace takes its place. Gratitude grows. We become steady, not because life is easy, but because we know we are held by the Father’s love.

Near the end of his life, Paul’s tone becomes even more tender. His words carry the heart of a father. “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord”  (2 Timothy 1:2). The man who once persecuted the church now writes with gentleness and care. The Father he has come to know now shines through him.

His heart shapes ours. Our words soften. Our love deepens. We begin to see people the way He does. And the Holy Spirit continues to lead us in this, moving us from simply knowing about God to living as those who are truly known and deeply loved by our Father.

Many Blessings, BW

Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
- Job 1:9

Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

When things go smoothly, it’s easy to say, “God is good.” But the story of Job takes us deeper. It invites us to keep seeking God when life becomes difficult and unclear. When Satan challenged God and accused Job, his words reached beyond Job to all of us. In essence, he argued, “Job only loves You because of what he gets. Take it away, and he will turn from You.” The Book of Job exposes spiritual warfare, the fragility of life, the questions we carry about God’s love, and the quiet hope that remains in suffering.

Like us, Job couldn’t see the unseen battle surrounding his life. Everything seemed to fall apart without explanation. Yet in the middle of it all, he did something powerful. He stayed in conversation with God. He wrestled honestly, questioned sincerely, and despite the weight of confusion, he refused to walk away. Without realizing it, Job answered Satan’s accusation. His faith was not rooted in blessings but in a relationship. He wasn’t clinging to what he had. He was holding on to God.

That pull between trust and retreat is a real tension we all feel. When life feels safe and blessed, we draw near to God and others. When things become uncertain or painful, our instinct is often to pull back. Job felt that tension too, yet he chose to remain open before God. Despite the voices of doubt around him, he held onto a thread of hope. He was not perfect, but he was persistent. And that mattered.

One of the great truths depicted in Job’s life is the steady nature of God’s character. His lovingkindness does not come and go when it feels hidden. Our honesty does no threaten Him; our doubts do not disappoint Him. There are moments when He may seem silent, but He never stops being who He is. If His love could fail, He would no longer be God. When we cannot see it, His love is still present, still working, still holding us.

Job’s story contains the question; Jesus’ life reveals the answer. In Christ, we see the heart of God fully. He does not stand at a distance from our pain. He steps into our deepest darkness. At the cross, Jesus met the worst of suffering and transformed it into redemption. Through His death and resurrection, He shows us a God who does not abandon us, but one who walks with us, carries us, and surrounds us in our most broken moments.

Job never received an explanation for his suffering, but he encountered God in a deeper way. In the end, that encounter changed everything. The same is true for us. When God feels distant, it may be an invitation into knowing Him more deeply rather than separation. His love remains steadfast in silence. And as we continue to seek Him in small, quiet ways, we begin to see again that His love never fails.

Many Blessings, BW

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.
- Genesis 50:20

Dear People Who Keep Company with God,

The story of Joseph draws us in because it combines the extraordinary with the familiar. His journey features betrayal, favoritism, injustice, and ultimately, redemption. These are common experiences that resonate with so many of us. His story starts with Joseph as a seventeen-year-old dreamer, deeply loved by his father but resented by his brothers.

What begins as standard family tension quickly turns into unfathomable betrayal. Driven by jealousy, his brothers sell him into slavery, stripping him of his family, his freedom, and any sense of security. To deepen the wound, they deceive their father into believing Joseph is dead, leaving him to carry a grief that was never meant to be his. In chains, Joseph is carried to Egypt and placed in Potiphar’s house. There, his integrity and diligence bring him favor. But just as his life seems to steady, it falls apart again. Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses him, and Joseph is thrown into prison.

Joseph’s following years unfolded in a dark and lonely place that must have felt like an endless pit. Yet even there, God’s presence never abandoned him. Through every hardship, the quiet thread of God’s favor persisted. In prison, Joseph earned responsibility, and the gift God had given him, interpreting dreams, began to shine. What grew in hidden places would later lead to his release.

Joseph was called upon when Pharaoh was troubled by dreams no one could explain. In a moment, everything changed. The prisoner became a ruler, second only to Pharaoh, entrusted with guiding Egypt through a famine. In time, the same brothers who betrayed him stood before him in need, and Joseph became the means of their preservation.

Joseph’s heart stands out the most. He did not pretend the wrong done to him was right. He spoke truthfully. Yet he also saw beyond it. “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” He recognized that God was at work through it all, weaving even painful moments into a greater purpose. In this willingness to forgive and redeem, Joseph points us to Christ.

His story invites us to see our own lives differently. We all walk through seasons that feel confusing or unfair. Broken relationships, unexpected setbacks, long stretches of waiting. Like Joseph, we do not always understand what God is doing in the moment. But those hidden places are often where He forms something deep within us.

God’s favor does not always appear as ease or outward success. Often, it arrives as endurance, wisdom, and quiet strength shaped by trials. The pain is real, but it is not the end of the story. God is always working, even when it is unseen, drawing redemption from what feels broken.

If you find yourself in a place that feels more like a pit than a promise, do not lose heart. God does not waste anything. In His hands, He weaves both joy and sorrow into His purpose. Stay rooted in Him, trust His timing, and hold on to hope. What was meant for harm, He can turn for good, bringing life and restoration in ways you may not yet see.

Many Blessings, BW