He Is Series Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) —When You Feel Unworthy, God Is Still Working in You

If you’re reading along, just know this has been slightly shortened to fit the space, so it might not match the audio word for word—but you’re not missing anything important. He Is Series Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) — When You Feel Unworthy, God Is Still Working in You Exodus 31:13 “You yourself are to speak to the Israelites: ‘You shall keep my sabbaths… that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.’” Today, we are talking about Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You). To be sanctified means to be made holy. God is the one who makes us holy.  At a mission, a speaker asked who wanted to be holy; only a few hands went up. Then he asked who wanted to go to heaven—everyone raised their hand. He said, “You know the only way to get to heaven is to be holy, right?” Another speaker said something similar. Few wanted to be saints, but everyone wanted heaven. The truth is, we are all called to be saints—not necessarily Saints with a capital S like Mother Teresa or Saint Catherine of Siena—but we do need to be sanctified to enter heaven.  God is the one who sanctifies us through His grace, love, and mercy. He wants each of His children to be holy so we can spend eternity with Him. I think many of us hesitate to say we want to be holy for two reasons. First, we don’t want to seem prideful. Second, we think it will require more than we can give. We assume it means doing everything perfectly or giving up everything we enjoy, so we avoid it. I looked up what sanctification means using the Truthly app—an AI tool that shares faith-based insights rooted in Catholic teaching. To be sanctified means: To be made holy — God transforms us from the inside out through grace. To be set apart — We are dedicated to God, no longer living just for ourselves. To be purified — God doesn’t just cover sin; He cleanses it. The primary means of sanctification are: The Holy Spirit The Sacraments Prayer, fasting, and works of mercy Suffering united to the Cross The goal is full participation in God’s life—what some call theosis—sharing in His divine life by grace. This is the purpose of the Christian life: not just to avoid hell, but to become truly holy. We cannot make ourselves holy, but we can cooperate with God—or resist Him. Before I continue, I want to say something important. I’m not sharing this so you feel like you have to do everything or that you’re falling behind. This isn’t a checklist. This is just a way to notice how God is already working in your life… and where He might be inviting you a little deeper. You don’t have to do everything perfectly. Just listen and see if one thing stands out. Here are simple ways we can cooperate with God’s grace: Prayer — Opens our hearts to God The Sacraments — Especially the Eucharist and Confession Scripture — Helps us hear His voice Fasting — Trains our hearts to depend on God Works of mercy — Loving others Offering suffering — Letting God transform it Devotion to Mary — Drawing closer to Jesus Spiritual guidance — Getting help from others Daily reflection — Noticing God’s presence Virtue — Choosing patience, humility, and love This is not about doing all of these. Just ask: is there one step God is inviting me into? We can also unintentionally resist grace: Pride — Thinking we don’t need God Serious sin — Though we can always return Neglecting prayer — Losing connection Small compromises — Slowly pulling away Tempting situations — Leading us to struggle Spiritual apathy — “It doesn’t matter” Ignoring conscience — Dismissing that nudge Attachments — Loving things more than God Unforgiveness — Blocking grace Despair or presumption — Too far gone or no need to change Again, this is not to make you feel bad. Just ask gently: “Is anything blocking what God wants to do in me?” Grace is not earned—it is received. God is always giving. The question is whether our hearts are open. As Saint Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in God—and every step toward Him brings us closer to that rest. I know this episode was more teaching than usual, but I felt called to share it. If you’re listening, I believe you want heaven—and God wants that too. He is working in you every day. What is one way you can cooperate more with His grace? What might be resisting it? Dear Jehovah Mekoddishkem, bless all who are listening. Thank You for sanctifying us and wanting us with You forever. Show us anything blocking Your grace and help us cooperate with it. We want to be holy. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Thank you for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit, “Who needs to hear this?” If someone comes to mind, send it to them. I look forward to seeing you Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are—and so do I! Have a blessed weekend! Today’s Word from the Lord was received in October 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have questions, email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is:“When you find it difficult to be my voice, call upon the power of my name. My name will give you strength, help you overcome fear, and walk through every trial. My name is the power you need.”   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace