Dear Friends,
One morning, I awoke with a vivid image in my mind—a diagram of my life’s journey. In my youth, I imagined life as a straight path: Point A at the bottom of the page, Point B at the top. Naturally, I assumed the most efficient path between the two was a direct vertical line. Easy enough…just gotta stay focused!
But then, I saw the Holy Spirit gently sketching zigzags across that line—left to right, back and forth. That’s when I understood: this is what life truly looks like. The Lord’s line is straight and narrow, but it doesn’t always lead us directly to our destination. Why? Because our journey with Him IS the destination!
Life’s journey, I realized, isn’t about speed or efficacy—it’s about TRUST. It’s about humility, SURRENDER, OBEDIENCE, and learning to be dependent on a loving God. Ultimately, it’s about TRANSFORMATION (becoming like Him in every way!)
As we move through life, it helps to remember this steady truth: God’s ways may feel mysterious or unpredictable, yet His purpose is always deeper than our comfort. He is shaping who we are, forming character that lasts beyond the moment we’re in. Psalm 25:10 anchors us in this reality: “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.” (NIV) And it’s good to remember that the Lord’s heart does not shift and His intentions do not waver! (Malachi 3:6)
So when your circumstances feel confusing, imagine yourself as clay resting in the Potter’s hands. Scripture uses this very picture to help us understand His work in us. (Isaiah 64:8) The Potter presses, reshapes, and even places the clay into the fire—not to harm it, but to strengthen it. What looks harsh from the outside is actually holy craftsmanship and refinement.
Every pressure, every turn, every moment in the heat is part of His process of forming something solid and beautiful—a life that reflects His character. The ups and downs, the zigs and unexpected zags are never wasted; they are the very tools He uses to shape integrity, godliness, and a heart aligned with His own.
LIFE IN THE ZIGZAGS
As I was gazing at the mental diagram that morning, the Holy Spirit turned the page sideways. What had once been a zigzagged path now resembled an EKG monitor. He pointed to the flat line and said, “This line means death. But the one with movement—ups and downs—that’s the sign of life!”
Suddenly, clarity came. The zigzags of life were not worthless detours, nor frustrating interruptions—they were divine appointments. Jesus Himself was often “stopped” along His path, yet those pauses became miracles. For example, as Jesus was walking through town in Matt. 9:20-22, a desperate woman suffering from an issue of blood, touched the hem of His garment and was instantly restored to health. Then there was the time a paralytic man was lowered down from the roof while Jesus was in the middle of a sermon, receiving strength to walk again (Matt. 9:1-8), or the blind beggar who cried out from the roadside as Jesus was passing by, receiving his sight. (Luke 18:35-43) None of these were interruptions; they were the very heartbeat of Jesus’s ministry.
This is the way of every Believer. What feels inconvenient or bothersome are divine, life-changing encounters! Don’t dismiss these moments as if they were trivial. Instead, receive them with reverence—as appointments orchestrated by God.
Since receiving this picture from the Lord, I have begun to look for such moments intentionally—at the grocery store, in a food line, in the waiting room of a dentist’s office, and I have been amazed at the connections I’ve made. Ordinary places become extraordinary when seen through His eyes. Just as Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42) and her testimony rippled through an entire town, so too can our small encounters carry eternal weight.
If we believe the Lord is sovereign, then we must trust Him with both the zigs and the zags of life. In the rises and falls, in the crooked paths and rough places, ask Him to reveal the larger, eternal picture. Invite Him to work His miracles through you. For He is present in every turn, and if we yield, if we trust and be patient, He will straighten our twisted thoughts, soften our hardened hearts, and shape us into His likeness. (See Psalm 139)
CHRIST: OUR SOURCE AND GOAL IN LIFE
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.” Philippians 3:8-9 (NLT)
Life offers us countless pursuits—success, recognition, wealth, comfort, even religious achievement. Yet Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3 cuts through the noise with startling clarity: everything else is loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. He does not merely suggest that Christ should be important; he insists that Christ is the only treasure worth clinging to, the pearl of great price for which all else is gladly surrendered.
To know Christ is not simply to gather facts about Him, as one might study a historical figure. It is to enter into a living relationship with Him—a daily walk marked by intimacy, trust, and transformation. Paul longs to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection, not as a distant doctrine but as a present reality that breathes life into weary hearts. He even embraces the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, recognizing that union with Jesus means sharing both His victories and His sorrows. This is not a shallow acquaintance; it is a deep communion that reshapes every corner of life.
ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED BY RELATIONSHIP
Jesus Himself defines eternal life in relational terms: “…this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” John 17:3 (NLT)
This verse calls us to reorient our priorities. Success, possessions, and even religious rituals are not the essence of life. The essence of life is Christ Himself. He is eternal life. To know Him is to live in the fullness of what we were created for. To walk with Him is to taste eternity even now.
“And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.” 1 John 5:20 (NLT)
Eternal life is not endless existence but endless fellowship. This means that eternal life begins NOW, in the present, as we walk daily with Him. Every prayer, every act of obedience, every moment of surrender through every zig and zag in life deepens this fellowship.
THE DIVINE INVITATION TO GROW
Paul’s exhortation in Philippians chapter 3 adds another layer: this knowledge of Jesus is not static. We are called to grow continually in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Each day is an invitation to press deeper, to discover new facets of His character, to be overwhelmed again by His mercy, and to be steadied again by His faithfulness. Knowing Christ is not a one-time event but a lifelong pursuit, the steady heartbeat of discipleship.
Paul stated in Philippians 3:12-15, “I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion…” (TPT)
Eternal life is not a finish line we cross—it is a Person we pursue. The zigzags of life are not wasted steps; they are the rhythm of discipleship. I encourage you to press on, for every grace-filled stride brings you closer to the heart of Christ because to know Him is to experience LIFE. To pursue Him is joy. To be found in Him is the prize worth every step.
Happy New Year,
Life with Father Ministries
BORN OF THE SPIRIT: A NEW BEGINNING
Jesus teaches in John 3:5-7 that, “…no one enters God’s Kingdom without being “born of water and the Spirit.” This isn’t a physical rebirth, but a spiritual one—something only the Holy Spirit can create. Human life can only produce what is human, but the Spirit gives birth to a new, eternal kind of life.
Jesus didn’t come to improve our old life; He came to give us a new one. This new birth is a gift of grace, the moment God awakens our hearts to His Kingdom. As 1 Corinthians 5:7 says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT)
If you’re ready for that new beginning, you can pray the simple prayer below and step into the assurance of eternal life. And when you can, connect with a Christ-centered church to grow in your faith and walk closely with the Lord.
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
Jesus, I come to You knowing I need Your forgiveness. I confess that I’ve sinned and I believe You died on the Cross to pay the price for me. Please forgive my sins, come into my heart, and make me new. I receive Your gift of eternal life and ask You to be my Lord and Savior. Thank You for giving me a fresh start. Help me now to walk in truth—with You, with myself, and with others. Create in me a clean heart, and give me the desire to follow You in all things. Amen.