Cross My Heart Ministry

“Take the helmet of salvation…”
Ephesians 6:17

Last month, we introduced our first study of elements of the Armor of God from Ephesians 6. After focusing on the Belt of Truth during May, we are continuing in June with the Helmet of Salvation.

The word salvation, like many others, is a “churchy” word we use frequently, but we might find it hard to pin down a definition if asked to explain what it means to someone outside the faith.

As I pondered the meaning of salvation and its implication to my life, the classic Star Trek TV series came to mind. When Captain Kirk needed to return to the Starship Enterprise, he would speak into his communicator to his chief engineer, “Beam me up, Scotty!”

If you’re a fellow Trekkie, you already know that phrase is one you might use as a humorous way of saying, “Get me out of this situation!”

The older I get, the more I realize that life itself is a bit of a situation. We seem to be perpetually in a jam, coming out of a jam, or heading into a jam. Perhaps, then, we can think of exiting earth and entering heaven as the time we get to “beam up.”

Our salvation – our acceptance of Christ as our Savior – means that when we leave this world, heaven awaits us. Our hope for eternity on that day is all about Jesus.  That’s the good news of the Gospel.

Because of the Gospel, we have confident hope for that day.  We have steadfast assurance for that day. We know we do not grieve without hope, and we know there is life beyond this one here on Earth. That is indeed good news … great news! The best of news!

But is the Gospel more than that? Is it not just for that day, but for THIS day?  If the only purpose of salvation was to get us to heaven, why wouldn’t God just “beam us up” the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior?

Does – or should – the gospel change my today?

Does – or should – the reality of my salvation affect my words, thoughts, actions, attitudes, and behaviors in THIS life and on THIS day?

As we Write the WORD this month, let us celebrate our life in Christ, lean into renewed gratitude for our salvation, and ponder its implications for living in this world as we await getting “beamed up” for eternity.

Visit our Downloads page for your copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark, optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, and other free resources to help you balance your heart for God with the demands of a busy life and home.

In this week’s devotional video, Laura introduces our new bookmark for June and unpacks David’s powerful words from Psalm 13:5: But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. We invite you to watch her introduction and hope you also accept her challenge to read, write, and commit to memory this truth-packed verse.

Stand firm then,
with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…
Ephesians 6:14a

As followers of Christ, we put on the armor of God daily so that we can take our stand against the enemy. Ours is a spiritual battle. We know we stand against the enemy. We also stand behind the truth.  

When we don our spiritual armor, the belt of truth goes on first. Perhaps that is to remind us that truth is the foundation of everything else. Jesus described Himself as, “the way, the truth, and the life” in John 14:6 and John 17:17 says, “…your word is truth.”  

Is God’s Word your source for truth? Is it your GO-TO for answers to life’s questions? 

When the world argues there’s some gray in a decision, God’s Word may reveal clearly what is black and white.

When the world tries to push, pull, and tug us off course, the Word of God is our compass pointing due north.  

The Psalmist describes it as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We need that illumination to live well and stand firm in today’s world—and we need to understand the importance of modeling that truth for our children, grandchildren, and those in our sphere of influence.  

And it’s a daily choice: Get up. Put on your belt of truth. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. 

Yesterday is gone. If you sought truth from scripture yesterday and walked in the light of that truth, good. But today, the battle begins all over again. 

Each day is a fresh start—for good or otherwise. Protect yourself from the lies of the enemy today, by choosing to believe what God says. 

Yesterday, putting on the belt of truth may have covered your core. But that was yesterday.  

Today is a new day. Time to suit up … and it starts with the belt of truth.

Are you buckled up for today?

In this week’s devotional video, Laura and her friend, Rhonda Gentry, discuss I John 1:6-8:

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

We invite you to watch as Laura and Rhonda talk about sharing fellowship in truth and light, and how we can each lean in to walking in fellowship with Jesus and those around us!

“Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 25:4-5

David makes three requests of God: 

• Show me your ways 
• Teach me your paths 
• Guide me in your truth 

Acknowledging the need for direction, teaching, and guidance requires a heart of humility. In making these requests, David simultaneously admits both his own need and identifies God as the One who can provide.  

Only a teachable spirit can learn. Only a humble spirit acknowledges the need for guidance. When we place ourselves in a position to learn from God, we choose to be under His authority and leadership. We are protected from the world’s ways and even our own flesh.  

God’s truth is really the only truth. And without His truth, we have no hope. Those who would argue about “my truth” and “your truth” fail to realize that by its very definition, the truth is objective. It is exclusive. It is absolute. That’s what makes it truth! That’s how we distinguish it from lies. Only by clinging to the truth do we have genuine hope. 

In declaring, “You are God my Savior,” David admits he cannot save himself. He is totally dependent on God, and his only hope is in Him.  

Does that describe you, beloved? Is your only hope in God?  

Our hope is placed in Jesus when we call on Him and give our lives over to Him for salvation. It ensures we will enter heaven on that day in our future. But Jesus also provides hope for this day in our present circumstances. We can experience peace and joy in the here and now. We need not wait for heaven.

As we deliberately and consciously place our hope in Him all day long, He is ever faithful to show, teach, and guide us.  

Do you see the connection between truth and hope? And will you allow His truth to guide you and provide for you all day long on this day, as you await heaven on that day?

In this week’s devotional video, Laura welcomes her friend, Hannah Millsap. Together, they explore the meaning of the word “truth” as spoken by Jesus, and what it means to be “free indeed!” We invite you to listen for ideas of how to apply the passage to your life in new ways.

It’s not too late to join us for the rest of May, as we learn about the Belt of Truth, one component of the Armor of God (Ephesians 6). Visit our Downloads page for this month’s bookmark, S.O.A.P. study pages, and other valuable resources to help you balance your heart for God and others, with the demands of a busy life.

Paul uses the word stand four times in the Armor of God passage in Ephesians 6: 

• Take your stand against the devil’s schemes 
• Stand your ground 
• Stand 
• Stand firm 

We can almost imagine a four-star general barking, “Stand your ground!” orders to the troops, or a coach yelling to players on the field, “Stand firm!” 

Both the athlete and the soldier are trained in the ready stance: knees slightly bent, tight core, weight evenly divided and senses engaged and ready to move. A good leader utilizes practices, drills, and repetition to train soldiers and players to stand. 

If we are to stand as followers of Christ in the Army of God, we must know: 

1.  Who we stand AGAINST: the devil 
2.  What we stand BEHIND: the truth 

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  

When the Christian soldier suits up in her armor, the first element she puts on is the belt. (In Bible times, it may have been called a girdle.) Placed around the waist, it kept everything else strapped on and accessible when needed. Just like putting on that belt, choosing to take our stand for the truth is a daily choice.

The evil one is a liar and a deceiver. He persuaded Eve to commit the first sin by convincing her to believe a lie. Down through the ages, he has continued to use that same ploy. Has he ever whispered a lie in your ear? Perhaps something like: 

• God could never forgive you for that. 
• If your friends knew about that incident from your past, they would reject you. 
• Your ideas are brilliant –why haven’t you been tapped for leadership? 
• Your husband has lost interest in you and your marriage. 
• Your kids don’t appreciate you. 
• Prayer is a total waste of time.  
• You are a star employee, so you deserve this indulgence. 
• No one is perfect and no one will know, so just go ahead. 

Maybe it’s not those lies, but others. Make no mistake, the enemy delights in telling lies and in getting you to believe them. If he can do that, he breaks your ready stance. He distracts you from the truth. He renders you vulnerable and ineffective for battle. 

The late Tim Keller did a great job categorizing those lies as either a temptation or an accusation.

The evil one wants us to either think more highly of ourselves than we should, or much less of ourselves than God thinks of us.

You are His beloved child.

Christ died for you.  

We cheapen God’s grace when we see it as a license to indulge our sin … but we discount His sacrifice when we focus on that sin, rather than His atoning death on the cross.

We are both more sinful than we want to believe, and more loved than we dare hope.  

How do we refute the lie? By saturating ourselves in the truth. Are you standing firm on the truth today? Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is yet to come. Immerse yourself in the truth today. Protect yourself from the lies of the enemy by choosing to believe what God says.  

His words are found in His Word. Read it, write it, and walk in it today.  

We must be ready to stand.

In this week’s devotional video, Laura welcomes her dear friend Brenda, who shares insight from John 4:24: God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.  We invite you to listen in on their conversation about this verse, which teaches us the importance of having a heart filled by God and the Spirit living inside you!

“…be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power….”
Ephesians 6:10 

Picture yourself seeking counsel from a friend or mentor, and she provides this challenge: “Be strong in the Lord! Find your strength in His mighty power!”

The admonition is delivered with gusto. You respond with a passionate, “YES!! 

You leave motivated to embrace it and walk in it. You say to yourself,  I will be strong in the Lord! I will find strength in His mighty power!

As the emotion subsides and you begin to process and think through the follow through, you then ask yourself: But how exactly do I do that? What does it look like to be strong in the Lord and to find my strength in His mighty power?  

To answer that question, we need to read through Ephesians 6. Thankfully, Paul not only tells us to find our strength and power in God, he also provides insight in what that looks like lived out.  

We choose to daily appropriate His strength and power by putting on the full armor of God.  

The imagery chosen by Paul prompts several thoughts: 

Armor—we are at war!
Life in this world is indeed a daily battle. And that battle is not only against the evil “out there,” but against the evil that can rise up in our own flesh. We are a new creation in Christ living in a body that sometimes pulls us in the opposite direction. We empathize with Paul’s confession in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” 

We choose to suit up.
When Paul says “put on” that is a call to the believer to do our part. Only Jesus can save us; that’s our salvation. But we must cooperate with Him in our sanctification – our growing in Christ. Living things are growing things. We began our new life in Christ as spiritual babies. As we abide in Him, we will grow spiritually. Are you and I different today than a year ago? Five years ago? Are we choosing to yield to Him? Putting on our armor will have us ready to face today’s challenges.  

The full armor is needed.
A solider doesn’t go into battle wearing only her helmet. She needs every element of the armor to be fully prepared. Spiritually, the warrior for God needs to be fully suited up:  

• Belt of truth 
• Breastplate of righteousness 
• Gospel shoes of peace 
• Shield of faith 
• Helmet of salvation 
• Sword of the Spirit 

I have a friend who prays through this passage every morning and “puts on” each element of the armor. Will you and I accept this challenge? Let’s give it a try. It will be a daily reminder that: 

• We are at war.
  
• We must choose to suit up to be ready.
  
• We need the full armor to fight well.
  

In John 15, Jesus taught us to abide in Him. My translation says remain in Him. He reminds us: apart from me, you can do nothing. 

Putting on our armor is our daily choice to abide in Christ, to remain in Christ. It’s the only way to victory. God has given us everything we need in Him. We just need to do our part to claim what He has provided. 

If your life feels like a losing battle … if you feel like you are living less when you know there’s more … if you’ve lost the joy of living for Him … if today has you feeling like you want to wave the white flag … then know you are not alone. We’ve all been there. Stuck. Spinning our wheels. Unable to move forward.

Perhaps when we are stuck, the best thing is to go in reverse. Back up. Regroup. Remind yourself who you are and whose you are. PUT ON YOUR FULL ARMOR.  

Would you pray it on with me now?

• Lord, I’m buckling on your truth for today. Help me be true to your Word. Jesus, You are “the way, the truth, and the life.” I will follow You today. 
• God, I know that I am not righteous, but I’m grateful that I have been declared righteous in Christ. When the enemy wants to shame me, I’m grateful for your breastplate of righteousness that honors and protects me.  
• Thank you, Jesus, for the good news of the gospel. Because of my sin, I was at war with God, but in You, I have peace with God. I praise You as my Prince of Peace. I will walk in that peace today. 
• God Almighty, in You I can lift my shield in confident faith. The condemning arrows the enemy shoots will fall away without finding their mark. You are my protector. My faith is in You all day long. I will not be shaken. 
• My salvation is found in Christ alone. My hope is in Christ alone. When my mind wants to make it complicated, when reason screams that grace is illogical, and when the enemy mocks the outrageous truth that Jesus died for me, the helmet of salvation brings victory to the battlefield of my mind.  
• Lord God, I love Your Word. It is powerful. It is life-giving. I agree with the writer of Hebrews, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow…” I choose to daily sharpen my sword so that I will be ready to face today’s challenges with strength, wisdom, and power. Give me an insatiable hunger and thirst for Your Word. Holy Spirit, bring to mind the Scripture hidden in my heart, right when I need it.  

Let’s choose to not leave home – or stay home – without being completely dressed!

Laura is pleased to welcome her friend Barb Maples for a discussion in this week’s devotional video. Barb shares insight from John 1:17:  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Can we keep the law? God’s Word is Truth … and it says we cannot. Does this mean life is hopeless? No! Through Christ Jesus, God extends grace to us.

Visit our Downloads page today for your copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark. During May, we will be studying the Belt of Truth … one of the components of the Armor of God, from Ephesians 6.

What is your attitude about work? Is it a proverbial “four-letter word” in your vocabulary? Are you just the opposite – a workaholic who finds it difficult to rest and stop working? Are you one of those rare people who finds satisfaction in your work?  

If you’ve been reading (and, hopefully, writing) the verses from this month’s Write the WORD bookmark, you know the Bible has a lot to say on the topic of work. As we wrap up the month, let’s consider the WHO, WHAT, and WHY of work.
 

The WHO of Work

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23

There are lots of “-ings” that fill up our day, claim our energy, and get our attention. Life can become so full and stressful that there’s little room to think much about God’s role in our day-to-day life. We may assume that teaching Sunday School, visiting a sick friend in the hospital, or cooking for the Missions banquet is what really counts as “working for the Lord.”  

But then we read Colossians 3:23.  

Whatever means whatever. Baking, cooking, shopping. Exercising. Reading. Cleaning. Washing. Mowing. Teaching. Babysitting. 

The fact that all tasks are apportioned to us by our Lord means their completion is working for Him.  

Let’s pray that our children and grandchildren have a strong work ethic. Let’s model this for them, as we display an “all your heart” attitude. Let’s pray they see us complete our tasks with joy and commitment — not just getting it done, but honoring God as we do it.
 

The WHAT of Work

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk
leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23

The Chinese proverb, Talk don’t cook the rice, echoes the truth of Proverbs 14:23. Maybe here in the South we would say, Talk don’t fry the bacon!

At some point, we need to stop talking about doing what needs to be done (cleaning out the garage, weeding the flower beds, purging the closet, scrubbing the sink, etc.) and just engage and DO IT.  

It makes me giggle to note how many YouTube videos are out there – with hundreds of thousands of views! – of people cleaning or exercising. Does it make us feel productive to watch other people clean or exercise?  

Time to stop talking and start doing!

The WHY of Work 

Several verses might offer an answer to the “Why work?” question, but here are three: 

1. We work to bring God glory:

I have brought you glory on earth
by completing the work you gave me to do.
John 17:4

Jesus is always our example for all things. He willingly set aside his robe of majesty and took on human flesh to come and live among us. His life models for us the attitude and behavior that honors God. Jesus brought God glory. We were created to bring God glory. We do that by faithfully completing the work He has for us.  

2. We work because we need to eat:

If a man will not work, he shall not eat.
II Thessalonians 3:10

There’s a big difference between will not and cannot. Laziness and idleness have no place in the life of a believer. We honor God by stewarding well the gifts He has given us.  

3. We work so we can bless others: 

He who has been stealing must steal no longer,
but must work, doing something useful with his own hands
that he may have something to share with those in need.
Ephesians 4:28

The ultimate blessing of work is that of giving. The Scripture tells is it is indeed more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). When we lean into working hard, we not only provide for ourselves, but we’re rewarded with the joy of being used by God to bless others. 

As we desire to develop a correct attitude about work and have a strong work ethic, let’s pray we lean into the right WHO, WHAT, and WHY. To HIM be all the glory!  

In this week’s devotional, video introduces our May Write the WORD bookmark. In the upcoming month, we will be studying verses about the Belt of Truth – one component of the Armor of God. This topic is the first in a series of studies in which we’ll examine pieces of the spiritual armor Paul teaches about in Ephesians 6. We invite you to listen as Laura unpacks this topic for us today. Then, visit our Downloads page for your copy of our May bookmark, the optional S.O.A.P. study pages, and other free resources!

Moses’ father-in-law replied,
“What you are doing is not good.
You and these people who come to you
will only wear yourselves out.
The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”
Exodus 18:17-18 

When Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to visit, he assessed the situation, identified the problem, and suggested a solution.  

Moses was arising early and serving as the judge for the people – hearing cases, settling disputes, and making decisions to dole out justice – from dawn to dusk. (Read Exodus 18:13-27 for the full story). 

Jethro took note that this was a heavy burden for Moses. He also understood this method was not only bad for Moses, but also for the people. Yes, Moses was getting worn out, but the Israelites spent all day (and perhaps day after day) awaiting their turn to be heard. Everyone involved was surely exhausted. And those long waits in the hot desert sun probably meant even more cases arose that needed to be settled!

Jethro’s solution is akin to a modern-day appellate court system: divide the people into groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Choose trustworthy men to preside over each group. Make sure everyone knows the rules, train the leaders, and then you hear only the cases that make their way up the chain to you. Brilliant idea! 

Moses received the wise counsel from his father-in-law and implemented the plan. Because of his teachable spirit, both Moses and the people gained relief and satisfaction. The workload was shared, with more men trained and involved. Moses wasn’t worn out. God’s people did not have to wait to resolve their disagreements. The solution came about because Moses did not allow pride to preclude him from releasing responsibility, thereby allowing others to lead and serve.  

Are you in a place today of feeling burdened, overwhelmed, and exhausted? Are you laboring from dawn to dusk, yet feeling more behind when you go to bed than when you got up? Your job may not be judicial, but you find that working, volunteering, cooking, cleaning, washing, and a zillion other “-ings” demand your hours and rob you of peace and joy in the course of a day.

Would you consider receiving some wise counsel from Jethro? 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, there could be many reasons: 

• you’ve taken on more than you should 
• saying “yes” without praying first 
• failure to plan well 
• failure to budget time well 
• you’ve assumed the martyr mindset – everything is my job! 

If your life is frenzied and stressful, take a moment to breathe deep. Pray. Ask the Lord to help you discern what you need to keep doing and what you need to release. As you focus on exactly what tasks are YOUR responsibility, step into Jethro’s shoes and assess the situation. Do you need to do some delegating to others, whether inside your family or outside? 

Some of us struggle with laziness and idleness, while others wrestle with over-working. The over-working may be the result of failing to plan; when we don’t have a plan for delegating tasks, it may just feel easier to jump in and do it ourselves.  

But the over-working may also be rooted in something ugly: PRIDE.

Do you notice how insidious pride can be? We kick it out the front door and sometimes it comes slithering in the back, wearing a noble costume.

It may be pride if we refuse or don’t want help because we either want the task done our way (the right way, of course!) or we want all the praise for it. We want the bragging rights.  

One telltale way to identify pride as the motivation? We enjoy rattling off the look-at-what-I-got-done-today list: 

• Up at 4:30 am 
• Quiet time 
• Sunday School lesson planned 
• Treadmill 
• Two loads of laundry (washed and folded!) 
• Scrubbed the bathrooms 
• Mopped the floors 
• Dinner in the crock-pot 
• Baked five loaves of bread 
• Took the pets to the vet for their annual shots
• Delivered a meal to the family with a new baby

Check, check, check. Etc., etc., etc. Ad nauseum, ad nauseum, ad nauseum. 

Can I ask you in the kindest, gentlest way, my friend – do you do what you do to feel needed, important, or irreplaceable? Would you check in with our Lord and ask Him to reveal the motives of your heart, and give you the help you need to both manage your home well and find that place of peace and joy that should characterize our lives in Him? 

Some of us need to get with it and do the work. Others of us need to hear the message from Jethro and figure out a way to share the work.

Are you ready to put away your cape? Is it time to take off your martyr hat? Are you ready to find some satisfaction like Moses and the Israelites? I’m praying for you today! 

We’ve been looking at passages on the topic of WORK this month, as we make our way through the April Write the WORD bookmark. In this week’s devotional video, Laura explores yet another reason for leaning into hard work — and it’s not all about what you GET! Watch now to discover a reason for work that just might surprise you.

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