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We encourage the congregation to use the posted devotionals to "virtually join together" in prayer, daily, at 9:00am.
God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible...
Acts 10:40
Simon Peter, a Jewish follower of Jesus, had been summoned by Cornelius, a Gentile centurion and friend of the Jews. Each had separately seen visions, which resulted in a divine appointment at Cornelius’ home. This kind of association between Jew and Gentile ran counter to the Jewish law. But Peter was convinced that God had directed him to answer the call and be present that day. And so he opens his mouth and begins to share the message that had been entrusted to him by God. The Word had not been written on any scroll; it had been etched upon his heart. For he was one of the chosen who had accompanied Jesus in His ministry. He was one of the few who knew Him well. Many had witnessed the crucifixion, and even more had heard about it. But there were not many who had experienced what had happened three days later. Peter was there that day in Caesarea to bear witness to all that he had seen and heard. He had been as surprised as any of the other disciples when together they saw their crucified Lord alive again. They had conversed with Him and shared meals. The resurrection was a divine confirmation of all that Jesus had done and taught – it was God’s stamp of approval. And so Peter testifies. He bears witness to the Lord Jesus, in the presence of Cornelius and before all who had gathered in his home that day. And he declares Jesus to be the fulfillment of all that the prophets had spoken. Jesus did not come to bring a new religion. He ushered in the kingdom of God. He was the incarnation of God’s Word for God’s people of every nation and in every generation. Jesus confirmed the words the prophets of God had spoken – and He fulfilled them. But He was not merely a Jewish Messiah. He was the Savior of the world… Not all were given the gift of seeing the resurrected Christ. But those who did were ordered by God to share the news and to proclaim it far and wide… Not everyone has eyes to see the kingdom of God that has come in Jesus. Those of us who have been blessed with the gift of sight are compelled by God to testify to what we have seen. The crucified and risen Lord is the center of the Christian proclamation. Whatever else is said, this is the substance of what must be shared. As the Crucified One, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the One who mercifully grants forgiveness and salvation. And as the Resurrected One, Jesus is the One who conquers death and who graciously bestows the gift of everlasting life upon all who call upon His Name. The Holy Spirit of God watches over this Word of proclamation, and it catches fire in the hearts of God’s people. And, throughout the generations, those of every nation who have been touched by His teachings and moved by His actions, have thrown in their lot with Him. They’ve come to believe that the example He gave of how to live life – in selfless service and sacrifice and with love for all people – is worthy of emulation. I am one of them. And there is no greater joy than to see the light in the eyes of those who discover it for the first time or to watch hearts open up to receive it. There is no greater delight than to see faith come alive in those who are on their way to becoming dedicated disciples, convinced that the grace given in Jesus is not only that which satisfies their own restless and weary souls. It is the salve and solace for every family and for every community in this wide and wonderful and hurting world.
Prayer
Good and gracious God of all creation, You alone are worthy of all glory, honor and praise. Open my
eyes to gaze upon Your beauty. Open my heart to receive the fullness of Your grace. Open my mouth
that I might faithfully and effectively bear witness to all that You have accomplished in the crucifixion
and resurrection of Your Son. You lovingly wrap us in Your arms of mercy. And You empower us and
send us forth to care for all of Your creation. Help us to be faithful and to do our part to glorify Your
Name.
Amen
Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, Thus says the LORD of hosts,
"I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep,
that you should be ruler over My people Israel."
2 Samuel 7:8
We sometimes call them lucky breaks. Opportunities that come our way, doors that open by no action of our own, that end up being turning points in our lives. Looking back on them, we see that they changed the course of our lives from that point forward. Our life’s trajectory is a combination of the decisions we make, the work we put into it (or not), and… all the other stuff. The matters that come to us from the outside, the things that happen to us. The things that occurred when we just happened to be there, at the right time and place. Presence meets opportunity, and it becomes an integral part of the story of our lives… That David was a successful man was an indisputable fact. David knew it, and all of those around him recognized it, as well. The Scripture puts it this way on numerous occasions, The LORD helped David wherever he went. And when David is at his best, he remembers this truth. He well knows that he is not a self-made man. There is evidence that David (who, at this point in the account is king over all Israel) feels more than a bit unworthy, perhaps even guilty, about his huge success. Not only is he respected as king, he’s almost revered as a god. And it hits him: Here I am, living in a beautiful palace of cedar, while the ark of God dwells within tent curtains. The inequity apparently made him uncomfortable. And so he decides to build for the LORD a more permanent structure. Which is when God basically tells him, With all due respect, Mr. King, do you really think you are going to call the shots here? Do you endeavor to tell Me where to dwell and how to conduct Myself? God is not so rude, of course. But by definition, God is the One who has the ultimate prerogative. And God reminds David how things came to be. God had taken him from the lowest of the low (from following sheep in the pasture, not leading them) and raised him up to be ruler over all Israel. David ought never to forget it. And neither should we. If it should happen that success comes your way, you do well not to let it get into your head. To think you are more deserving than others. More important or more valuable. For consider this: Things could have been different. Much different. The proper way to handle success is always with deep humility. To be heartfully grateful for the contribution others have made in your life and to recognize the hand of God that has blessed you. In the end, your responsibility is to be faithful in the situation you find yourself in today, to be a responsible steward with all that God has entrusted to you. For your true success is more than the verdict that comes by others who will judge you according to earthly standards. It’s doing your best and making the best of the opportunities that will rise up before you today. And to remember that you are a servant of the God who created you in love and redeemed you in mercy. Give credit where credit is due. If in your pride you take sole ownership of the success that comes your way, you have some unpleasant surprises in your future. But when you recognize the grace of God that’s been so richly poured out on you, you’ll be amazed at what is to come. For this is only the beginning of what God can and will do – in you and through you.
Prayer
Almighty God, sovereign Lord, help me maintain proper perspective when I come into any success.
Remind me of the many who’ve surrounded and supported me and how very richly blessed I am. Open
my eyes to Your faithful presence and to the undeserved grace that You’ve poured into my life. Help me
be faithful with every opportunity that comes my way, that my eyes might always be upon You. Never
let me forget that I am Your servant. And may I faithfully reflect any praise given to me back to You, the
One to whom it truly belongs. May I be a useful instrument in Your hands today to carry out all that You
desire.
Amen
After saying this, He told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,
but I am going there to awaken him."
John 11:11
It happened many times throughout my childhood. Friday night was my parents’ regular date night (and I was not invited). But I was richly blessed (as were my parents) to have my grandparents live within five miles of our home throughout my growing up years. And many-a-Friday night I got to spend special time with them, while my parents went out to dinner, to see a movie, or to carry out any other plans they had made. Sometimes, I was there for only a few hours. Other times, I would spend the night. And then there were occasions when something truly astonishing occurred. If my parents were late, past my bedtime, I would traipse down the hall to my grandparents’ back bedroom, and there I would fall into a sound sleep. And sometime during my slumber, my parents would return. My father would then go down the hall to where I slept, scoop me up, and take me to the car – where he would lay me on the back seat for the short drive home. Upon arrival, he’d scoop me back up again and transport me to my own bed. And it was there, the next morning, that I would awaken, often completely unaware of all that had transpired. I fell asleep in one place and woke up in another. And I ended up right where I belonged… The disciples of Jesus are sometimes so dense it’s laughable. They often misinterpret Jesus’ words – and they do so regarding His declaration in the verse above. Which moves Jesus to speak to them plainly: Lazarus was not literally asleep; he was, in fact, dead. And Jesus was going to bring him back to life… We experience a glimpse of the eternal every day of our lives, when we awaken from sleep and rise up to encounter a new day. For there will come a day when your family members and friends will be unable to rouse you from your sleep. It will take the touch of your heavenly Father’s hand. The voice of the Good Shepherd will call out your name and will awaken you to a day unlike any other you’ve ever experienced. You’ll be in the presence of the Lord, where your faith will give way to sight. In the meantime, you can take comfort in these words of Jesus. And you can know that you are well-practiced for the Miracle which is to come. For each night when you close your eyes to sleep, you experience a kind of death. And in it, there is no fear. Even so, when you close your eyes for the last time, the next thing you know, you will be Home. Right where you belong. Jesus declares a few verses later that He is the resurrection and the life. You need not wait until the Last Day before experiencing His miraculous power. Eternal life is not something that begins when this life is over. It’s yours, in Jesus, right now. As you continue to listen to His words and learn of His loving interactions, you will grow in your faith and trust. You are in His good care now, and You will be in His safekeeping forever. You can count on it – because you can count on Him. He who once did it for Lazarus will one day do so for you. For it is His delight to lay down His life, that you might live. There is no greater love that this. Lazarus experienced it. And so will you. It’s what Jesus does for those He calls friends.
Prayer
Almighty God, evidence of Your presence and power surrounds us, and yet our eyes are often blind to it
all. Glimpses of heaven are given us in Your grace, and these, too, our eyes, many times, fail to see.
Excite and enliven our senses, that we might perceive Your faithful and abiding presence. Draw us
deeper into relationship with You and keep up in true faith, until that Day comes when You will awaken
us from our slumber with the touch of Your hand and the sound of Your voice. How we will rejoice to
arise, when You call us by name and welcome us Home! Now and forever, may all honor, glory and
praise be Yours.
Amen
Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying,
"Thus far the LORD has helped us."
1 Samuel 7:12
In a familiar and cherished hymn, the people sing, Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I’m come. The melodious tune has carried these words of Scripture into human souls for more than two centuries. But I wonder if those who intone them well understand their meaning – even if they have them committed to memory. It’s sometimes enough when we’re at the beginning of things to trust those that have gone before us with the treasures they have imparted. For there will come a time when we can step into the light, examine them more carefully, and more certainly learn the meaning that has given them value. Samuel was a revered and respected leader of Israel during some mighty difficult days. The people were living in close proximity to their fierce enemies, the dreaded Philistines. These coastal dwellers were advanced in warfare and held the advantage over the Israelites in every earthly way. And, spiritually speaking, the Israelites we languishing, at best. For all the guidance that Samuel had given them, the people still had their feet in more than one boat. When it came to religion, they hedged their bets and worshiped a pantheon of gods. Samuel advised them: Cut your ties with all false gods and throw in your lot with the LORD alone. And, in great leap of faith, they did just that. And they implored Samuel to pray to the LORD on their behalf and to do so in diligent fashion – as if God were their lifeline. The result: God preserved them and granted them victory over their enemies. And the stone erected by Samuel was a memorial, set up to remind the people not only of the battle that had been won, but that the LORD had given them their success. Ebenezer – stone of help. They had come as far as they did by the grace of God. And the Ebenezer was an attribution of their victory to the LORD. In addition, it encouraged the people to press on in the same vein. For even as the LORD had been with them then, they ought not to think that God was capricious in His dealings, but rather consistent, faithful and good. Even as they had urged Samuel to be persistent in his intercessions, they ought to look to God on a daily basis, ordering their lives around the ways He had ordained and trusting that the One who had given them this past victory would faithfully lead them into every challenge that would present itself. The remembrance of their past success would inspire confidence in the future. The memorial stone spurred them on in their faith… In your own prayers, have you kept a record of the victories God has given you? As you do, you will have reasons at the ready to which you can look and from which you can draw to praise God for His grace shown toward you. And as you rehearse them – and add to them – you’ll begin to better see God’s faithfulness. This, in turn, will give you confidence in the future. For your God who has been gracious can be counted on to continue to lead you in all your future days and to bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom. And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. In the end, the Holy Scriptures not only give you an account of God’s interactions with others. They bear witness to a living God who’s also there for you. The LORD who has been faithful to His people in generations past is present with you today. Be watchful for His hand at work in your life, as this day unfolds. And when you see it, write it down – that it might be your own Ebenezer, your own reminder of God’s presence with you and that grace that God, in His goodness, has granted you.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, faithful and true, You have always been good to Your people and You always
will be. Help us to learn well the account of Your faithful interactions with Your people throughout
history. And open our eyes to see Your hand at work in our lives today. As we remember what You have
done and recognize Your presence in our everyday lives, grant us confident hope – centered in You and
Your good promises – for all of our future days. In Your grace, bring us safely home to the place You
have prepared for us, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. To You alone be all honor, glory
and praise.
Amen
But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him;
and when he saw him, he felt compassion.
Luke 10:33
The honorable and respectable had passed right by the man in his time of need. But the despised Samaritan, moved by compassion, stopped and welcomed the interruption in his journey. For what he saw in front of him rose in priority over and above all of his previous plans… The lawyer, who had questioned Jesus about how he might inherit eternal life, asked the loaded question, Who is my neighbor? And Jesus astutely and characteristically turned the question around to give him insight into what it would feel like to have someone act in a truly neighborly way toward him. The Samaritan saw neither color nor class. He cast no blame on the victim, nor did he second-guess the man’s decision to travel this dangerous road at this time of day. After all, the Samaritan himself had taken the same risk. In this man, robbed, beaten, and left for dead, the foreigner saw only a fellow human in need. And his heart was filled with compassion. He did not stifle his feelings. He was moved by them, and he acted upon them. And while the lawyer had asked Jesus about His interpretation of how wide the law would have him extend his own realm of responsibility, Jesus showed him what it was like for another to extend their circle wide enough to include him. Elsewhere in the law, the Jews were told to treat with kindness the foreigners residing in their midst, and to remember that they, too, had once been strangers in a strange land. The teachings of Jesus in parable of the Good Samaritan can be instructive for us when it comes to health care, immigration and a host of other issues. Before making judgments regarding those who are on the outside, Jesus would have us consider well what it would feel like if we ourselves were on the outside looking in, and what it would feel like to receive mercy and compassion from those who had the power to do otherwise and walk on by. For the time will come when you, at some point in your life, will be that helpless person on the side of the road. And there you may experience those who will afford you hardly more than a quick glance, as they carry on with their lives, leaving you to wallow in your misery and to wonder if modern man has lost its humanity altogether. But if there, beaten and broken, you hear racing footsteps coming to a halt to stop alongside you to care for you in your need, your perspective may well be altered forever. For you will come to see that God’s circle extends to include you as well, that you have not been neglected, abandoned or left behind… That God became incarnate in Jesus is the parable of the Good Samaritan writ divine. And those who follow in His steps must necessarily do the same. For Jesus pauses for everyone in need – and if you do not halt your pace, you will walk on without Him. Welcoming an interruption today might mean you won’t reach your planned destination in record time. But the delay in your day might mean an unforgettable moment in the life of someone who’s hurting. And the adventure that awaits you just might include getting a better glimpse of how God is at work in the world today. For not only will you recognize God’s presence in the moment. Others will observe it through you in the compassion by which you serve.
Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, thank You for the grace You have poured out for me in Jesus Christ, Your
Son. Your salvation, rightly received, does nothing less than transform my heart. Even so, give me eyes
to see those who are beaten and broken on the side of life’s road today. Grant me the discernment of
Your Spirit, that I might not be distracted from the mission on which You have sent me. And yet, help me
not overlook the opportunities You place before me to carry out Your desired purposes. Work Your will
in me and through me this day, that I might accomplish that which is well-pleasing in Your sight, as well
as that which is beneficial to Your beloved people, for the honor and glory of Your holy name alone.
Amen
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her,
"My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?"
Ruth 3:1
Naomi comes to life – and it is a glorious thing! We dare not minimize her grief, and we would be wrong to want to rush it, to try to hurry it along. We cannot write any prescription or set any timetable for her recovery. People grieve in different ways, and as much as we seek to console, we cannot control. While we may empathize with those we care for, we can never say in truth that we feel their pain, since theirs is a unique and personal experience. Naomi had good reason to grieve. Within the span of ten years, she had lost her husband and two sons. Life as she had come to know it had vanished. Like a host of others who had endured their own hardship, Naomi blames God for it all, as she bears witness that God had afflicted her and dealt with her very bitterly. Indeed, she’s had her own Job experience. And even though she has one present at her side who pledged unmatched fidelity and unsurpassed loyalty, she’s unable to acknowledge the blessing at this point. She declares that the LORD has left her empty. And as she feels her world closing in around her, she is in danger of sinking into the pit of despair. All the community can do now is listen, be present, surround her with love, and give her time to grieve. But that is enough. And as they do so, God brings about healing and a renewed perspective on life. Naomi now lifts her head and can finally see outside herself. And as she takes interest in Ruth and calls her daughter (no more in-law terminology), a miracle takes place: She revives. As she seeks the good of this one who has been so good to her, her own life is restored – and it is a beautiful thing. One of the evidences of God is that when bad things happen, good things show up. Darkness gives way to light. And while those who grieve may at first curse any new day (how dare the world continue to turn, in the face of the great loss I’ve experienced!), eventually they come to see in it the gift and grace of God. Naomi seeks security for Ruth – the one who has been silently at her side, serving as her own security. As they both order their lives in such fashion, they align themselves with the LORD, who has been and will continue to be their security in this life. Even more, those who have breathed their last on this earth will find eternal security when they enter the promised rest of the Almighty… Because there are numerous factors involved, we can only approximate the gestation time of a child in utero. Birth comes in its own good time. The same may be said regarding grief recovery. For while the memory of labor may linger, the pain will no longer be felt. I suppose if we had any choice or agency, we would choose to stay within the comfort and security of our mother’s womb forever. But then we would never see the light of day. We would miss out on God’s wonderful world and all the experiences of today. I wonder: Do we hold on to this life in much the same way – safe and secure in what we know, afraid to be born into the life God has for us in heaven? Pain accompanies us as we enter into this life and sometimes when we leave it. But as joy follows one, so it will follow the other. This is the consistent witness of the people of God. And we can see evidence of it right here in Naomi’s revival.
Prayer
Almighty God, through the joys and struggles of life, You remain ever faithful. Although our hearts grieve
at the losses we endure, we know this is part of what it means to love and to be loved. And in the end,
we would have it no other way. Thank You for the blessed hope You give to us of eternal life in Your
presence. And thank You for giving us good reason to confidently hope for the heavenly reunion of the
communion of saints. For You are our loving Creator, our faithful Redeemer, our Security and our
Eternal Rest.
Amen
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Matthew 10:30
Jesus speaks these words to His disciples before sending them out into a dangerous world where, He warns them, their reception will be mixed, at best. He relates these things to reassure them that their heavenly Father watches over them every step of the way. And for that reason, they have nothing to fear. I remember distinctly when God awakened my heart to faith. I cannot explain why it took so long. I had been taken to Sunday school in my early years. I had been loved and cared for, and the stories of Jesus had been shared with me. I went through confirmation instruction, during which I received a more reasoned explanation of God and faith. And I was able to recite the proper words to be pass the course and be welcomed as an adult member of the church. Indeed, the seeds of faith had been planted and nurtured in my life, but it took a long time for them to germinate and sprout forth to blossom and bloom. But when it finally happened, it was like the dawning of a new day. I was awakened to the presence of God, who had always been faithfully there for me. What I had believed in theory had finally become clear. And the result was inexpressible joy. Whereas before I felt alone and lost in a crowd, now I walked the halls of my high school with the assurance that God was right by my side, walking with me. The awareness of God’s presence made all the difference. And it was then that my hunger grew. I wanted to learn more about this One who had opened my eyes to His presence… What if it were true? That God knows you so intimately that even the hairs of your head are numbered? That God cares for you – every single aspect of your being? I was blessed with another revelation in this respect when I became a parent. When I first looked upon my newborn and examined her from head to toe, I did so not as a physician with an eye for anatomy. I did so as a parent, one who by some grand miracle was instrumental in this new life. As such, I marveled at every aspect of her being. I rejoiced over her physical presence and her every movement. And as each day brought about change, each day I recognized something new. And I loved. To the extent that I saw no blemishes, only perfection. And I lost myself altogether, as I focused on this new life in front of me. Then came the insight: Might God love me with this same kind of insistent and persistent love? Indeed! For the love that I have for my children, as bright and vibrant as it is, surely pales in comparison to the perfect love my heavenly Father has for me. And for you… A few days ago, I was blessed to hear a man bear witness to his heart full of love, as he spoke about his granddaughter. There’s nothing she could do that would keep me from loving her. There’s nothing she could do that I would not forgive. Ah, my heart was warmed as I heard his testimony. For it gave me yet another glimpse of the marvelous mercy of God. God cares for you, body and soul. And, like any loving earthly parent, God grieves when His children grieve, and God’s heart breaks when they go astray. You can be confident that God faithfully watches over you this day and that you are not alone in your thoughts. God is as present as the breath that is in you. May your eyes be opened and your senses awakened to the protective love of your Creator, who rejoices over you and sings and dances with joyful abandon because of you. He loves you more than you will ever know this side of heaven. And when you learn to live in that love, it will surely overflow into the lives of others.
Prayer
Almighty God, my good and glorious Creator, even as I rejoice over the miracle of my being, You show
me that You exult over me even more. Open my eyes ever more to Your amazing grace. For as I come to
know Your love more deeply, I come into the fullness of my being and reflect Your glory. You have
created me uniquely and made me for a purpose that only I can fulfill. Help me, then, to be all that You
have created me to be and to do all that You have enabled me to do, for the honor and glory of Your
holy name.
Amen
But Gideon said to then, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you;
the LORD shall rule over you."
Judges 8:23
Gideon was one of the great judges of Israel. And as we examine his life and career, we get an inside look at how faith grows. The days when the judges ruled in Israel did not prove to be a time later generations would look back on with pride. The Book of Judges is, in fact, a study of a nation trying to find its way. It recounts a series of starts and stops, trials and errors. If there was ever a time when the faithful questioned the survival of the true faith that had been passed down to them by their forebears, this was it. Idolatry abounded. Division prevailed. Tribal warfare and strife ran rampant. But the light had not gone out completely. There were still flickers of flame in what looked very much like the dying embers of a faltering nation. It was feared that failure was just around the corner. It was into this mix that Gideon received his call from God to serve as a leader of the people. He initially scoffed at the proposal and questioned not only God’s favor but God’s very presence among them. But God convinced him and Gideon agreed to serve in the role God had prepared for him. He would come to know God’s provision in his life, and he would recognize God’s rule in the lives of the people he led. He would come to be convinced that it was God who gave the people victory over their enemies. But the people had strayed so far, and to correct them was no easy task. They had lost their vision. And as much as Gideon took care to help them see, they remained short-sighted. They couldn’t see beyond their earthly leader to the power that stood behind him. And so when the people approached Gideon, after he had led them to victory, made their appeal before him that he serve as their king, and even expressed their willingness to support a family dynasty that would follow in his wake, he flat out refused. He reminded the people that God was the power behind the person. And he refuses any accolades for the success that has come their way. He was convinced that all credit belonged to God. His sons, however: not so much. They were quick to assume leadership and to take up his dynasty – and they’d do so to their own destruction. But Gideon’s refusal in this verse, his insistence that it was the LORD who would rule over the people – this word would live on in the community as a nagging and needed reminder. Years later, when there was great debate about how to go about the unification of their loose tribal confederation and the pros and cons of consolidating power, Gideon’s words would be remembered. The wise knew that no matter how they decided to order themselves or configure their political rule, they must never forget that the LORD was their ultimate authority. It was for this reason that many among them would later insist they call their ruler prince, not king. Doing so would remind them that God was their true King. Elsewhere in Scripture we’re instructed to engage in passionate labor – to work hard, to serve with all we’ve got. And that no matter who employs us, we’re to keep in mind it is the LORD God whom we ultimately serve. We’re to submit to our leaders and give them the honor and respect that is their due. But we’re never to forget that our true Leader is God. And if there is ever a time when we’re asked to serve in a leadership position, like Gideon, we must never forget the stewardship that has been entrusted to us, and that we, too, answer to a higher authority.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, You raise up leaders to show Your people the way that they should go. Continue
to grant them wisdom and insight, confidence and humility, that they might never forget the
stewardship You’ve entrusted to them. Grant us all servant hearts, that we might properly honor our
leaders and pay them due respect, because of the office in which they are employed. And in whatever
we do, never let us forget it is You whom we ultimately serve. All glory and praise be Yours alone, this
day and forever.
Amen
And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
Acts 2:1
Oh, what a gift this is! The meaning conveyed in this account comes from a mixture of the words themselves and the way we hear them. And today, as we read them again in near post-pandemic days, I wonder if you, like me, are drawn to that word together. We’re now a full fourteen months into this, and we’re just beginning to be able to come together again in a safe way, by which we’re not putting at risk our own lives or the lives of others. We’re in the process of extending our circle from our households to our greater family and friends, neighbors and even unfamiliar others, whom we also welcome. The gift of physical communal presence is returning – and we indeed rejoice. Because, of course, good things can happen when we come together. Expected things as well as new surprises… The day of Pentecost was one of unity and diversity. People from all over had come to gather in that one place called Jerusalem. They wore different clothes and spoke in different accents. There were circles within circles, subsets that came together in cliques to catch up – in the presence of others who were doing the very same thing. And they were all there in that one place to celebrate the blessings and bounty of God. This was an important reunion of the faith community. The importance of the event was evidenced by the long journeys many had taken to travel to this common place. It was a significant sacrifice – to interrupt regular routines to participate in this festival event. But it was an adventure worth having. There would be celebrations of worship. Songs would be sung that had been shared in families for generations. The Word of God would be read. Stories would be recited. The people would remember together, and they would be reminded of the important things that united them. For they would hear again the account of the God who had made good on the promises made to their ancestor Abraham. They would hear again how God had rescued their people from bondage and faithfully led them through the wilderness into the Land of Promise. And on this day of Pentecost, they would celebrate the giving of the Law – by God, to the people, through Moses. They would hear the account of Mt. Sinai, covered in cloud, of the lighting strikes and thunder claps, when God had spoken to them from the midst of the fire. At Sinai their ancestors had experienced the revelation of God – who had declared that He was their rescuing God and that they were His rescued people. And when the people came together on that Pentecost day to remember, they were taken up in it, in full participation. There was no gap in time between the event itself and the remembrance of it. They, too, were there in the wilderness to see the display and to hear the Word of God. Indeed, there’s something good to come together and to remember who you are – not an isolated person, but part of a holy community. Not just a member of this generation, but integrally connected to those who’ve come and gone before you – the blessed communion of saints. We come together in one place to remember the account of God’s faithful interaction with His people throughout history – which is our history. And as we participate in this remembrance, we’re engaged in a living faith, in the presence of God who is with us today and brings about something new. For God would again speak through fire. And just as Jesus had promised, God’s Spirit would descend upon all flesh, and all would be empowered to speak the wondrous deeds of God. New life would be breathed into the community. And they would return to their homes invigorated, rejuvenated, and filled with the Good News of what God had done – back in the days of Moses and most recently in and through His Son. And they would rejoice at what God was doing in and through them, to extend God’s kingdom even wider, as they, too, shared the Good News of God’s amazing grace.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, You’ve called us into being and claimed us as Your own. You’ve proved Your
faithfulness, time and time again, to protect us from harm and to provide for us all that is good. May
Your Holy Spirit continue to breathe new life into Your holy Church, that we might be empowered to
carry out Your purposes and fulfill Your plan for the good of all Your people. Thank You for the gift of
Your Spirit – our Counselor, our Advocate, our Guide. To You alone be all honor and praise, now and
forever.
Amen
So the LORD said to Joshua, "Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?"
Joshua 7:10
You can count on it: There’s more than one side to the story. And the narrative Joshua was telling needed to be corrected – not only so that the truth might be told, but that the people might learn the lessons before them and move forward, better equipped, to face their future challenges. In this particular case, Joshua and his people had just come off a great victory at Jericho. It was their first engagement in the Land of Promise, and it was a huge success. Moreover, by the way things played out, there was little doubt that God was with them: the LORD Himself was giving them victory! God was delivering on His promise. Coming off that great win, they then faced a much easier contest. Sizing up the challenge, they determined there was no sense enlisting the entire army – only a small group was needed. But they’re surprised to experience their first defeat. And the battle survivors return to camp, whimpering with their proverbial tail between their legs. This unexpected setback stunned General Joshua, and he was moved to reevaluate the entire campaign. He second-guessed himself. He questioned the wisdom and intentions of God. He was plagued with the nagging question of WHY and could not stop with his IF ONLYs: If only we had not crossed the Jordan! If only we had been content with what we had had on the other side! If only we had quit while we were ahead! His anxious mind was turned loose in racing thoughts and grievous lament. And he could well have continued down that road had the LORD not restrained him. Stop! Enough! Get up off your knees, shut your mouth, and listen! You do not see the whole picture, Joshua. In fact, you’re missing a bit part of it. And when you learn the truth, when you see things more clearly, you’ll tell the story much differently. Don’t be too quick to cast into doubt all that you’ve come to know about Me. Have I ever done you wrong? Joshua would learn that the cause of defeat was not at all what he had surmised. And he would learn from the missteps and use them to his advantage… Like Joshua, we, too, are sometimes confronted with hardship or sudden setback. Even with what we could call nothing less than calamity. Unexpected loss slaps us in the face and we’re shaken to the core of our being: The layoff. The accident. The betrayal. The death. A loss so great that everything we’ve ever learned is called into question. We may scoff at truth, scorn any sense of order, and jeer at justice, convinced that there’s no real rhyme or reason that undergirds them. They’re merely fanciful concepts, social constructs, conceived to control the otherwise unruly masses. We deem faith a luxury of the naïve, who’ve been closeted from catastrophe and insulated from real world problems. We put God on trial and deliver a guilty verdict. These are indeed understandable reactions to real loss. They’re heartfelt expressions of honest grief. But they do not disprove justice, truth and order. In fact, by arguing against them, we prove their reality and worth. For whence comes the sense of injustice and disorder? Is it not only in comparison to some standard that exists – not just in our minds, but in a greater and deeper reality? Our protests themselves are evidence of the greater truth that beckons and drives us, and will eventually lead us back to God. And it’s there, in our Lord’s presence, that we’ll learn the rest of the Story. And it’s there that our questions will be laid to rest. For now, we place our trust in the One we have come to know as merciful, compassionate, and abounding in steadfast love.
Prayer
Almighty and sovereign God, You are inherently good and orderly and just. You have created all things
good, and You have created us in Your image. You continue to work in us that through us, in our
victories and in our failures, to bring about Your good and perfect will and to write Your beautiful Story.
Open our eyes to a fuller and richer understanding of the world that You have made, and by the power
of Your Spirit, draw us close to You in faith and trust. Grant us wisdom, that we might know when to
pray and when to rise up in active faith, to move forward to carry out Your will, for the glory of Your
Name.
Amen
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
When you visualize Jesus, what do you see? A babe, lying in a manger? A man, teaching on the steps of the temple? A miracle-worker, mustering supporters? A criminal, suffering on a cross? Or a master who serves his subjects. A king who washes dry and dusty feet. Jesus self-identifies as a servant of others. The Church looks to its Lord as the One before whom, one day, every knee will bow down in acknowledgement of His eternal lordship and boundless dominion. What a striking image, then, what a powerful display, when Jesus tells His followers He has come not to be served, but to serve. It is this spirit, this attitude, that reveals the heart of a truly godly leader. One who steps into the spotlight not to enjoy the attention of onlookers, but One who attracts their attention only to reflect the light and to turn their attention on the work of God being done, that they who see might not merely observe, but be encouraged to participate in the purposes of God. Jesus gives His life – not only on Calvary’s cross, but in each of His personal interactions every day. Observe the kindness of the Lord, as He welcomes the children. Hear His heartfelt mercy, kindly spoken: Neither do I condemn you – and let it transform your heart. Consider the compassion of the King, when He appeals from His throne, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do – and know that you are one of those for whom He prays. Jesus pours out His life in loving service – not just in His death, but in the fullness of His living. He says He offers Himself in ransom – and this invites us to see that His actions accomplish for us what we could never do for ourselves. He sets free those who are imprisoned, those who would otherwise have no hope of release. And those who remembered the words of the prophet recognized that this servant talk was not original with Jesus. Isaiah had spoken of God’s servant, who would take upon himself the iniquities of the people and bear the sins of many. The prophet had proclaimed that this servant would be oppressed and afflicted. Like a lamb led to slaughter, God’s servant would not open his mouth in protest, but would pour out Himself to death. Hearing the words of Jesus and witnessing the work of His life, those who listened and observed would see in Him the fulfillment of the promises of God. But the way Jesus went about His life and death could hardly be more contrary to our human desires and expectations. For the coming Son of David would surely be like his predecessor! A great warrior king who would eliminate all his enemies and establish a truly united kingdom! Surely, God’s Messiah would fulfill all their expectations and throw off the oppressive Roman rule! Surely, he would restore to the people of God the land once promised to their ancestors! Surely, he would grant them their long-anticipated independence. Surely, he would rise up and be the true Messiah! Indeed, the Son of Man would conquer – but the enemies vanquished would be sin and death. Indeed, the Son of Man would secure their place in the Promised Land – but it would contain no earthly borders. It would be boundless in heaven. Jesus comes to be the Servant King. And all who follow Him will likewise live in loving service.
Prayer
Almighty God, You have made Your wisdom known in teachings of Your Son. Your compassionate mercy
was demonstrated in His life of loving service. Open our ears, to hear His instruction. Open our eyes, to
observe well His actions. Transform our hearts, that we may seek not to lord it over others, but to
humble ourselves before them and faithfully bear witness to Your loving purpose for us all – to live our
lives with mutual respect and consideration – and to honorably serve as Your useful instruments on
earth, for as many days as You allot to us. To You alone be all honor, glory and praise. This day and
forevermore.
Amen
But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth,
that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Deuteronomy 8:18
It was an important time of transition for the people of God. And, like parents who sit down with their sons and daughters to have a good long chat before they head off to college, Moses takes pains to prepare the people well before they cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land. Moses knows the people well, having spent the last forty years of his life with them. And now, he takes pains to tell them the truth about who they are and to remind them of their faithful God. By this, he helps them see with proper perspective. Every generation is alike in being quick to forget these important truths. We tend to credit ourselves for more than our due and minimize the activity of God, who has protected us and provided for us throughout our life’s journey… We’re in our own time of transition, as we leave this pandemic behind us and move forward into our new lives. And new lives they will be – for we cannot go back to the way things were. We can never go back. It’s imperative that we learn well the lessons of this past year and move into the future with heightened awareness. We do well to consider these words of Moses and be reminded of these truths. For especially when life is good, we can too easily forget. We’ve all heard stories of those who, in the middle of a life-threatening experience, cry out to God for rescue and make big promises about all the changes they will make, should God save them. And then, after the rescue comes, they slip back into their old and familiar ways, either forgetting what God has done altogether, downplaying their harrowing experience, or even taking credit for their own rescue. The boastful pride of life, the arrogance of the human heart, is quick to claim sole credit for our own accomplishments, achievements and success. Moses informs the people that good things can be expected in the land of promise. And when wealth is achieved and they’re surrounded by abundance, it’s then that they’ll face the greatest danger of all. For while they had little, while they lived day to day in the wilderness, they were fully aware of their dependence on God and on the manna God rained down for them from heaven. They lived with the constant reminder of God’s protection and provision. Moses urges them not to lose sight of the fact that it is God who blesses them with the power to make wealth. This is not to say that it’s wrong to take pride in working hard to provide for yourself and your family. The satisfaction that comes after completing a hard day’s work and the good feelings that arise when you look back on all that you have done – this, too, is a blessing of God. But never forget it is God who has blessed you with a body that can work and a mind that can think. More than that, God uses your efforts to carry out His greater purposes, far beyond your own comprehension. In all that you do this day, rejoice that God has given you the strength to carry it out and the determination to complete it. God will use the fruits of your labor not only to bless you but also to bless others God has brought into your life. May the fullness of God’s joy be yours today, as you willingly present yourself before Him as His servant, to be a useful vessel for His blessings to flow through you for the good of all His people.
Prayer
Almighty God, You have blessed me in this life with a body that moves, a mind that thinks, and the
strength to get things done. May all that I do today be for Your glory and for the service of Your people.
Let me not claim any credit that is Your due alone; instead, help me to recognize Your blessings in my
life. Help me grow in faithful stewardship of all You’ve entrusted to me, that I might develop the gifts
You’ve given me to their full potential. May I not waste any investment You’ve made in me. Instead, may
You be glorified by the fruit of my labors done in Your name. All honor and praise be Yours alone, now
and forever.
Amen
For the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd,
and shall guide them to springs of the water of life;
and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:17
An admission: I’ve never liked roller coaster rides. The thrill for me comes when the train slows at the end of the torturesome experience, returns to the docking station, and I feel the relief at having survived it. There’s enough trauma in life already without adding to it by voluntarily stepping into a contraption that may include hammerhead turns, headchoppers, cobra rolls and demonic knots. No thank you very much! I’ll keep my feet on terra firma. But this is not to say I’ve never had the experience. Peer pressure is a powerful thing, and no one wants to be called a wimp or a weakling. That, too, was part of my adolescent anguish. And when I was faced with this prospect, I had to force the logical reasonings of my mind (these things have been tried and tested… the ride wouldn’t be open if it were unsafe... my chance of survival is 99.99%...) to win out over my hammering heart. But apart from these avoidable harrowing experiences, there are plenty of real-life uncertainties that confront us, and they can leave us anxious and unsettled. We may feel as if we’ve been derailed – destined for an unknown outcome. Having no control to stop it and no way to determine our future, all we can do is hold on tight and hope for the best. Abrupt changes in relationships. An unexpected diagnosis. Layoffs. A driver who missed seeing you altogether and altered the course of your life. A pandemic that comes out of nowhere and disrupts an entire world… When we turn to the last Book of the Bible, we find a lot of the same stuff. In his other-worldly vision John sees war, destruction and plague. In the words of Jesus, the powers of the heavens are shaken – and it appears that the train has become detached and left the tracks and that the 00.01% possibility is becoming reality. That which occurs is truly apocalyptic. So what joy emerges when John’s eyes are opened to behold that which is described in this verse. It’s enough to calm your racing heart and still your troubled soul. For John sees more than that which will happen to others. It’s your future that’s revealed. And the outcome is peaceful, comforting and certain. The Lamb becomes the Shepherd. The One who is like one of us is revealed to be the One at the center of the heavenly throne. And there you will be in His good care. Springs of the water of life. Where death will be no more. Your every tear will be wiped away. And you will breathe your very last sigh of relief – for you will be in the safekeeping of your loving Creator and faithful Redeemer, forevermore. Heaven – where you will be with God – will be an experience of unending and unsurpassed joy. There will be no disappointments. The experiences of this life – as thrilling as they may be – will pale in comparison to all that God has prepared for you. The best of this life will be shown to be but an appetizer of the feast that’s to come. All worries will be forgotten and every anxiety will dissipate. You will be cared for, tended to, and protected from all harm. Your days of wandering will be over. Your sojourning will give way to Sabbath rest. Your temporary resident status will be replaced with permanent citizenship. And you will finally and forever be Home. You have experienced hints of heaven here on earth. But they have all faded, dissipated and left you wanting more. The emptiness within you is not a flaw or a sign of imperfection. It was designed by your Creator, on purpose. God placed in you a yearning for the eternal, a longing for belonging. And you can rest assured that you will arrive safely in God’s docking station, where the real adventures will begin. God has given you His Word. And that is something you can trust: 100%.
Prayer
O Lord, You are our Rock and our Redeemer. Through the storms of life, You are our sure and safe
harbor. And when our course on earth is complete, You’ve promised to welcome us Home. We exult in
Your love and we’re humbled by Your grace. May Your faithful provision and the certainty of our eternal
destination give us confidence to make the very best of the days that remain, that we might live our
lives to good and effective purpose, to bring glory to Your name and to minister to the needs of those
around us.
Amen
Whether it was two days or a month or a year
that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it,
the Israelites remained camped and did not set out;
but when it was lifted, they did set out.
Numbers 9:22
One year had gone by since Moses, by the command of God, had led the Israelites out of Egypt. As the servant of the LORD and the leader of the people, Moses had ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the Law of God. And there on the mountain God initiated a covenant with Israel, in which He had declared that He was their God and they were His people. And God had made it clear how they were to live in community with each other and in the world that surrounded them. God had also given instructions to build a tabernacle, a worship tent, that would serve as the central location where God would make His presence known, speak to Moses, and receive the sacrifices of the people. As a symbol of God’s presence, above the tabernacle the people could see a cloud that hovered by day and a pillar of fire that burned by night. It was a constant reminder that God was with them, ever faithful. And in this ninth chapter of the book of Numbers, nine verses are dedicated to relate to us readers how it all worked. What we find in our verse today is a sort of summary statement. What occurs was instructive to the people at the time and a reminder to each of us. First of all, any movement of the people was dependent on God’s timing, not their own. The decision to stay or to go, to remain or to move on, belonged to God. It was God’s prerogative. When the cloud was lifted, it was time to pack their bags and hit the dusty trail. Another important thing we see in this verse is that God was the One leading the people. God determined the direction of their journey… In our lives too, we’re sometimes faced with significant decisions that can change the course of our future. When to stay or when to move on? Where to go? High school graduates consider which school to attend (or not to attend at all). Couples in love, envisioning a life spent with their partner, contemplate the right time to pop the question. Job offers and promotions come, and we sometimes consider long and hard over how we will respond to them. We examine the pros and the cons. We attempt to weigh the value of all the new opportunities that will arise in a new setting and balance it over and against all that we would leave behind. Sometimes these decisions are most difficult, more than a little unclear, and we can labor over them for days, weeks or months. We might envy the Israelites who had it much easier in this respect. We might wish God would send us our own cloud, a definitive sign to tell us when and where to go, that we might be sure to make sound decisions. You can be confident that God is with you, just as much as He was with His people in the wilderness of Sinai. As you are in the midst of making important decisions, go to God and present your case before Him. Lay it all out. Admit your anxieties and fears. Confess your confusion. Ask God to give you guidance, counsel, direction. Read His Word to be reminded of God’s past interactions with His people and His faithfulness toward them. Consult with members of the faith community and request that they, too, present your case before the Lord and listen on your behalf. As your heart is open before God and you’re willing to be moved by His leading, God will grant you peace. And you will know the direction you should take. Pray. Wait. Watch. Listen. And then move forward. Some decisions require great faith, while others will be made with more confidence. But in every decision, you can be sure that God will faithfully walk with you and provide for you all that you need in the days ahead.
Prayer
Good and gracious heavenly Father, thank You for watching over us and going before us to lead us in
Your ways. You’ve given us Your Word of instruction, and You’ve shown us how to live in Your presence
and in community with each other. Light the way before us and fix our eyes on You. Thank You for Your
abiding Spirit that directs us in the way that we should go. Be with us in all of our deliberations, guide
our thoughts, and grant us the assurance of Your protection and provision, as we step forward in faith
today.
Amen
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed...
ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness
and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude 4
Grace has become my all-time favorite word. Wrapped up in it is mercy, compassion and kindness. Almost fifty years ago, my pastor and confirmation teacher defined it for us in two words: Undeserved love. It is the grace of God that comes to us in Jesus – the One who said He did not come to condemn us for our sins, but to save us from them. And it is the grace of God that transforms our hearts and works in us life-altering repentance. But grace is not at all the same thing as affirmation. Indeed, Jesus becomes incarnate in our midst to bring us the Good News of God’s love. But the Gospel message does not tell us everything is copacetic. Rather, Jesus comes to repair what is broken and to restore us to the image of God. Created to be like God in loving and serving others, the human race has fallen into sin and has chosen time and time again to serve ourselves instead of serving God. In our arrogance and pride, we pretend to ascend the throne of the Almighty and step into God’s shoes. And then we confidently proclaim, Thus says the Lord! while staring directly into the mirror. We choose to have our cake and to eat it, too. We insist that we are godly, and yet we are determined to live by our own rules. It is into this sinful mess that Jesus approaches us in the fullness of God’s grace – and then calls us to forsake our sinful ways and follow in His path of loving service… When Jude writes, false teachers had infiltrated the fellowship. They had latched on that beautiful word grace and sullied it by distorting its meaning. God’s grace meets us in our sin and declares no condemnation. But then grace also implores us to go and sin no more. The false teachers concerned Jude because they told the people God’s grace meant they could live however they wanted. They could rewrite the rules according to their own wills and determined purposes. It was religion made in their own image. Jude accuses them of having turned God's grace into licentiousness. God’s grace was reinterpreted, to mean they could relax God’s standards to accommodate their own practices – to the extent that they ended up having no standard at all. Anything went. And while those who had co-opted God’s grace might well accuse others of living under the law from which Christ has set them free, they dismissed the fact that Jesus came to incarnate the law and to fulfill it – so much so that He could say to His followers, Come, follow Me. For while Jesus did not come to condemn us for our sin, He did bid us to go and sin no more… With His coming, Jesus brings the Light of heaven down to earth. And then He sends His followers out into the world to reflect His light which dispels all darkness. One of the first actions of His public ministry was to call people to repentance – to turn from their own ways of doing things and return to the way of God – the way Jesus would perfectly demonstrate in the full sight of all… If there are inconsistencies between our walk and His, we have no option, if we are to follow Him and to walk in a manner worthy of His name that we bear, than to leave behind our old (or refurbished) ways and choose instead to walk in His steps. We either deny our (sinful) selves of its insistence on lordship, or we deny our Master, Jesus. Still today, the Church needs to take great care to continue to listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd, who, in His rich and abundant grace, comes to bind up all those who are broken in spirit and to seek and to save the lost.
Prayer
Preserve us, Almighty God, from those who would lead us astray, away from Your instruction. You’ve
entered into our world because of Your love, and You’ve made Your rich grace known to us in Jesus
Christ our Lord. Help us to hear His voice clearly and to fix our eyes on the path He left before us. Where
Your Church is in error, correct it, that it may faithfully carry out Your mission, on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen
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.
Moses then sprinkled the rest of the blood around the altar.”
Leviticus 8:24
When I first discovered the Bible as a treasure, I was excited to explore its contents. I had been taught in everything to begin at the beginning and to work my way through to the end. And while this approach is not unadvisable for this particular endeavor, there are, I think, easier ways to accomplish it. My intent was to take time each day to carefully read a section – say, three chapters – and complete my journey through the Scriptures in a year’s time – and then start over again. Not surprisingly, perhaps, my resolve fell short, and I failed to complete the exercise. I got bogged down, and I had to restart a number of times. Leviticus – which gets its name from the third son of Jacob (Israel) named Levi – only the third book of the Bible’s library of books, was the showstopper for me on more than one occasion. Why? It was so very foreign. Its primary audience was the priests of Israel (sons of Levi), and with it the intricacies of offerings, sacrifices, rules and regulations. But there were some mysterious components that nonetheless caught my attention – like that which is found in the verse above. The scene takes place in the wilderness of Sinai, soon after Moses ascends the mountain and receives the law of God. Aaron (a descendant of Levi) and his sons would serve as priests, and this is part of their ordination service. Before you check out right here and think this has nothing at all to do with you, take note that later in the Holy Book Peter will state that we are all priests of God. (This was also the impetus for Luther’s emphasis on the priesthood of all believers during the days of the Reformation.) So perhaps there’s something even for us in this verse today. While at first we might be struck by the gore of this bloody mess, earlier in the chapter we learn that the blood of the sacrifice purified all that it touched. It set something apart for special use, sanctified it, made it holy. Blood was representative of life, for, as the Scripture declared, the life of the flesh is in the blood. So what about blood being applied to the right ear, thumb and big toe? Rather strange, right? But see it in this light: The ears of priests (and remember, that’s you and me, chosen by God to carry out the His work in the world) were to be purified – to hear the word of God and then to hear the words of the people. We are to listen carefully. To give our undivided attention to the Lord our God who instructs us, and to the people we serve. There are a number of voices in the world that seek to get our attention – some shout to coerce us, while others whisper to woo us. Our ears are to be dedicated to listen to the voice of God and to the heart cries of the people God has placed in our circle of influence, that we be God’s instruments of meaningful and divine connection. What about the thumb of the right hand? Might we see this as representative of the work we do with our hands, close to home? Serving those in our fellowship, our beloved brothers and sisters in the family of God? Our actions within the body are to be holy and pure. And the big toe of the right foot? Perhaps this can remind us that God sends us out beyond our fellowship to be His faithful servants in the world. That God’s vision is always greater than our own. It might remind us we are not to limit our service, but always to be a light in the darkness. That we are God’s messengers of Good News. Listening, serving, bearing witness. This is our work as the people of God today. God will surely grant us more than abundantly all that we need to be faithful in the calling we have received. Let us then take up the work God has placed before us today and serve as His holy priests, to the glory of God.
Prayer
Lord God, I rejoice this day that You have chosen me to be Your priest and that You have gifted me in
ways that I might be of service to others. Help me to give my undivided attention to You each day and to
listen attentively to the concerns of Your people. Help me to be faithful to carry out Your will in the
works that I do within Your holy community. And may Your Spirit move me out of my comfort zone and
arouse me from my complacency, that I might be Your messenger of Good News in the world to which
You send me. Work Your holy will in me and through me, for the glory of Your name and the favor of
Your people.
Amen
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar;
for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen,
cannot love God whom he had not seen.
1 John 4:20
It’s not an easy road – and these are not easy words. As much as we would like to make adjustments to God’s Word and bend it to accommodate our own level of comfort, God will not have it. And in this respect God will not back down. God will not lower the bar just because we think it is too high or that too much is being asked of us. Who does God think He is, anyway? Doesn’t God understand that there are those who deserve to be hated, removed, taken out of the game? And, in answer, Scripture bears witness: Christ died for sinners. And in this God demonstrates His love – for all of us. From the beginning of recorded history, the human race has had excuses at the ready. We’ve shrugged off our obligations: Am I my brother’s keeper? And of course, this question was asked by one who sought to silence his brother forever. (And yet, still the voice of his brother’s blood cried out and got the attention of His Creator.) And then later, Who is my neighbor? Spoken by another, who sought to draw the circle closer to home and limit his obligations to something more realistic and manageable. But Jesus would make no exceptions, and He would permit no way out. We may hem and haw about who can rightly be called our brothers and sisters, but the truth is: We are all one human race, and each of us likewise blessed by our Creator with the gift of life. Like a good parent, God wants His children to get along. And as many buts as we speak in protest, as many conditions as we seek to put forward, God is insistent: Love them, as I have loved you. In this way, you will truly love Me. Well, then (our sinful self protests, as it recoils from such unreasonable command), God surely doesn’t understand. God surely doesn’t know how awful and undeserving my neighbor is. God surely is unaware of how pointedly he provokes me, how deeply she gets under my skin. I can hardly look at him without turning away. I cannot hear her speak without revulsion. And God’s reply: I do know. I’ve seen it all, from atop a wooden cross. Did you not hear My final words, Forgive them? Ah, the great and terrible love of God poured out for sinners, that moves even prophets like Jonah to hightail it in the opposite direction, unable to bear the sight of God’s mercy and compassion extended to his enemies. But what about all the evil? What about all the bad things they’ve done? Doesn’t God care about justice? God does. More than we know. There’s certainly a price to be paid for the wrong that has been done. But God does not require sinners to pay it. God Himself picks up the tab. And while we may bristle against this profligate and prodigal grace, what makes all the difference is when we realize God has come to our table and the check God has picked up is our own. It’s the kindness of God that moves us to repentance. It’s the compassion of God that transforms us. It’s the salvation of God, carried out on Calvary’s cross, that captures our attention and gives us proper perspective to interact with our undeserving neighbor, in love. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. These, too, are words that reverberate throughout the Holy Writ. To God belongs the ultimate prerogative. And His declaration is decided. God loves in response to nothing that attracts it. God pours out His love because that is what fills His heart, and that is His determined purpose. His love brings salvation to sinners, makes beautiful the broken, and transforms stubborn and resistant hearts that receive it to respond to His love in kind, leaving no one out.
Prayer
God of mercy, grace and compassion, You are determined to love those You have made, and You turn
Your back on no one. In Your great love for the world, You came to our rescue. In and through Your Son
You came to be the Savior of the world. Help us to see clearly that we love You most perfectly when we
align ourselves with Your heart and mission, for it is Your glory to have mercy on undeserving sinners.
Like me. Help me to bring glory to Your Name by loving Your people – including all and excluding none.
Amen
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him,
Thus says the LORD, Let My people go, that they may serve Me".
Exodus 8:1
Even those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Biblical Story may remember Moses in Egypt, sent by God to speak God’s message to Pharaoh. So also are remembered the Ten Plagues, that followed after Pharaoh’s refusal to let God’s people go. Behind this outward display is a story of power and possession. Pharaoh claimed to be the god of the land, and he ruled by the power of his word. He recognized no rule above him, and he answered to no one. Moses testified to a power greater than Pharaoh, to the LORD whose authority extended over and above any authority Pharaoh claimed as his own, indeed over and above any and all earthly authority. And when it came to possession: As much as Pharaoh might assert ownership of the Hebrews – his enslaved people, at his beck and call to carry out his every command – God declared the people to be His own cherished possession. The Ten Plagues were thus a demonstration of the LORD’s ultimate authority, power and ownership over all the earth. And in the end, Pharaoh would be put in his place. But there is an underlying message in all of this, not only for the people enslaved in the kingdom of an earthly tyrant, but also for us in our world today. The Hebrews in Egypt were not allowed to worship freely; they were unable to practice their faith as their consciences dictated. And as long as they were slaves in Egypt and were prevented from serving the LORD, any sin on this account would be attributed to Pharaoh. But what about when the people had been set free and then neglected to serve the LORD? Then the sin will be their own. And which sin is greater? There has been an outcry during this pandemic that our government overstepped and took away our right to serve God as we choose. Protest was made that they were shutting down our churches, destroying our faith, eradicating our religion. We made out to have our own Pharaoh who was lording it over us; we even played the persecution card. However, the doors of God’s Church have never been shut. Jesus appeared on Easter evening to disciples behind closed doors. Physical confinement and distancing have never prevented Him from interacting with His people. And no earthly thing will be able to separate us from His love. As Christ promised to build His Church, so will He do, pandemic or otherwise. And, in fact, this pandemic has opened doors that had previously been closed to us. And we now celebrate a Church without walls and enjoy fellowship far beyond our physical and geographical proximity. We’ve been given a greater vision of the communion of saints. But here’s the thing: Now that the restrictions necessitated by the pandemic are being lifted and we are free to serve God, will we do so? Or will the blessing of freedom result in spiritual neglect? Will we settle into self-serving ways? Time and time again, the Church has grown through times of persecution and hardship. The greater difficulty has come when we’ve been free to serve God but lack the discipline to carry it out. Let this serve as a caution to take responsibility for our actions and not blame others for our neglect. Let it encourage us to make the best of the opportunities before us and to serve God in whatever ways we can. God is, and always will be, ever faithful. Let us also live in worthy response.
Prayer
O Lord our God, You have called us into being, and You claim us as Your own. Nothing will be able to
separate us from Your love. Your people throughout history have found ways to serve You in whatever
conditions they’ve found themselves. Help us to act responsibly and faithfully, making the best of the
freedoms with which we have been blessed. Thank You for Your promise to build Your Church. Help us
to do our part, to be Your willing servants in word and in deed, that Your will might be done – on earth
as it is in heaven – that the needs of all Your children might be attended to, for the glory of Your Name.
Amen
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ
have received a faith as precious as ours...
2 Peter 1:1
Whereas it is the practice in our modern age to conclude our letters with an identifying signature, in the days of the Bible authors revealed their identity at the get-go. And sometimes we discover more than their identity: We come to know how they viewed themselves, their subjects, and how they appraised the particular audiences being addressed. There’s a lot of talk about identity these days, and in this opening statement we find words that ground Peter’s identity in the things that matter most. Simon Peter first sees himself as a servant of Jesus. By starting here, he makes it clear that, above all other things, he recognizes and follows Jesus as his Lord. He submits his own will to the desires and intentions of Jesus. As such, he works not to accomplish his own agenda. Rather, he takes his orders from the One who is his Master and Lord. He is a servant, and he carries out his labor in faithful stewardship of the One who has entrusted it to him. Next, he identifies himself as an apostle. One who has been set apart and sent out on a mission with a purpose. The content of that which Peter has come to know is too good to keep to himself. He’s been called and commissioned to bring Gods Good News to others. This is how Peter sees himself: A servant of Jesus sent by Him to share the Good News with others. This is his primary identity, his centering purpose. Not his gender, his race, his political party, his stance on gun control, his view of abortion or any other matter. He is a servant and apostle of Jesus – and that is at the heart of what moves him to say the things he says and to do the things he does. His subject matter is Jesus Himself, whom Peter identifies as the Messiah of God and the One in whom all the fullness of God dwells. Peter describes Jesus as righteous. That is: One who does the right thing, always. Finally, Peter has a word to speak about those to whom he addresses this epistle. How does he describe them? They have received a precious faith. Faith is both a noun – a belief system centering around the Person and teaching of Jesus. But faith is also a verb – it is a living and active trust. This faith has been created in them and entrusted to them as a precious possession. This comes about through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. God makes use of human agency to accomplish His work on earth. The Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Good News to create faith in the human heart. This faith is centered in the goodness and grace of God, who has brought about salvation sufficient for the world and everyone who dwells in it. Our calling is one and the same as Peter’s: to be servants of the Word and to be faithful in the specific commission God has assigned to us. How blessed we are to have received such a precious possession of faith! How privileged we are to have been entrusted with such a treasured stewardship! May we be faithful to live into the faith created in us and bring it to full and consistent expression. And having freely received it, just as freely give it away.
Prayer
Almighty God, in Your goodness and grace, You have called us to faith and entrusted us with Your good
news of salvation. Empower us to be Your faithful witnesses in Your world and to be responsible
stewards of the commission You have entrusted to us. Unleash Your Spirit once again in our world, that
all may come to faith in You, the Creator and Redeemer of us all. May Your name be magnified – in our
lives and in the world – for the good of Your people and for the glory of Your holy name. Now and
forever.
Amen
And I establish My covenant with you;
and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood,
neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.
Genesis 9:11
Never again. They are telling words. They bear witness to something that has taken place, while yet declaring that it will not happen again. They’re words of promise that aim to evoke assurance, comfort and hope. But as much as they testify to the determined intention of the speaker, anxiety and fear are not altogether dispelled. For despite the defiant insistence displayed in the one who utters these words, the very reminder of what has taken place is also an indication that it may happen again. We confess that we’re all imperfect and broken creatures, far from perfect. And so our never again declarations, no matter how sincere or well-intentioned, are met with some measure of doubt – both in us who speak them and in those to whom we promise: Never again will I take another drink. Never again will I strike you. Never again will I cheat or betray or go behind your back. Uh huh. Pardon my skepticism, but this is not my first rodeo. I’ve been around the block a time or two and I know all about human nature. Once a thief, always a thief. One a liar, always a liar. And a leopard can’t change its spots. Is true conversion even possible? Can transformative change be trusted? In the case of the verse above, God is the One who is making the promise. God is the One who is establishing the covenant. God is the One who declares never again. And while we may wonder endlessly about what it means that God would ever destroy, God here declares that we can forever put that concern out of our minds. Although we may be hesitant to state that God learns from past actions taken (after all, if God knows everything, what is there left to learn?), God makes it clear that the future will not include a cataclysmic flood. Not on God’s watch. Even more, God is determined to rescue, not to destroy. The rainbow in the sky is a living memorial, a regular reminder that God’s people can live with confidence that He is both our Protector and Preserver. For God’s part, instead of wiping the slate clean, God determines a different course of action to deal with a creation whose heart is intent on evil from its youth. In fact, it could be rightly said that the remainder of the Scriptural account tells the story of how God will carry this out. God is determined to rescue and to save; God will not come to condemn. And we are emboldened by God who promises time and time again that He is for us, not against us. Even as we can live with that assurance, we also recognize the nature of the human heart. We build memorials to remind us of the atrocities that have taken place by human hands, so that we will not forget, continue to remain vigilant, and guard ourselves and others against sinful human inclinations, to keep us all from going down those same roads again. Perhaps you noticed the 9:11 reference in this verse. It is yet another reminder of the depravity and brokenness of our human race. How deep our need for the mercy and grace of God! How essential God’s compassionate interactions with us! We may declare earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis and tornados acts of God. But God’s greatest act is to work in us true transformative change. It’s something the Lord alone can accomplish, and He will carry it out by landing on this Planet in Person and offering Himself in sacrifice, as the precious Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, You have promised that You will not come to earth to destroy or to condemn.
Instead, You reassure us that You are determined to be our Savior. Help us to see Your hand at work in
our world, as You bring good out of bad and resurrect that which was dead. Continue to work in us and
through us to bring about restoration and renewal in and for all of Your creation. Make evident to all
Your goodness and grace, that we might continue to live in the confidence of Your abiding presence and
in the hope that You’re working all things together to bring about the fulfillment of Your redemptive
plan.
Amen
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense
to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,
yet with gentleness and reverence.
1 Peter 3:15
The apostle addresses those who are living out their faith in a hostile environment. Some in their midst are suffering severely because of it. Others would pay the ultimate price, choosing to suffer martyrdom rather than deny the One who suffered all things on their behalf. I suspect that few of those reading these words today have experienced suffering that is anything close to what this faith community endured at the time of this writing. Surely the extent of the hostility you face, if any, pales in comparison. You might experience ridicule by those who think they’re wiser than the many generations of faithful believers who’ve come before them, deeming all of them – and you – fools for subscribing to unenlightened faith. They may scoff at you for the stand you take and look upon you as naïve and backward, old-school and outdated. They may exclude you from their group of friends and shun you from their social gatherings. Outwardly, they may show you a cold shoulder. But it might well be that inwardly they are envious of the love and joy they see in you. What does the apostle counsel in this verse? First, stay the course and continue your devotion. Peter addresses here not just a general faith but a personal one. As the Lord of your life, give Jesus that special place in your heart, that holy place where He is wholly yours. Let Him take the lead, to influence the thoughts upon which you will meditate and to determine the actions you will take. Let the place of Jesus be inviolable – let no one dissuade you from your faith, interfere with your relationship, impede His position as your Savior and Lord. As God has promised to let nothing come between you and the love of His Son, so on your end let nothing hinder your devotion or curb your enthusiasm. And when you so guard your faith with these intentions and maintain this attitude, you will give others a window into your life. And they will see the love, joy and hope that lives within you. As you hold your head up high and fix your eyes on Jesus, others will take note of the effect Jesus has had on your life. They’ll notice the difference between you and those in whom the Spirit of the living God has not been given free rein. And they’ll also notice the changes in you – the you you are today and the you you were in the past. For as you allow Jesus to do His work in your life, He’ll transform your heart, and you will grow in Christlikeness. And then, when people ask why, you can bear witness – not only to your faith and trust in Jesus, but to His living presence that dwells within you. You’ll not do so in any sanctimonious way. For that would be inconsistent with the truth that you are sinner saved by grace and that the reason for your hope is the living presence of the grace-filled One who has come to be your Savior. Let any hostility you experience from the outside serve only to increase your dependence and devotion to Christ. This is not a retreat as much as it is a renewed embrace of the One who gives you strength. You have been richly blessed with the freedom to live out your faith and to grow in it. And as you sanctify Christ as Lord of your heart, He will continue to keep you in His love and strengthen you for ongoing service in the world today.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, thank You for opening my eyes to see Your glory and for opening my heart to
receive Your love. Thank You for being my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for drawing close, for Your
faithful presence in my life, and for abiding in my heart. Help me to preserve the place that has been set
aside for You alone, inviolable. Help me to pursue my faith in You above all other devotion, that You
might have first place in everything. For it is then that my words will bring blessing to others and my
deeds will bring glory to You. In all things, may You be honored and praised, this day now and forever
more.
Amen
You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
James 4:14
One of the features I like best when I google a location in maps is zooming in and out. The first result gives me some perspective. I can see a bit of what surrounds the place about which I’ve inquired. And when I zoom out, I see more of what’s out there, and the location in question shrinks in comparison. Of course, it is, in reality, still the same size. Only now, I’m seeing it from a different point of view. Rather like the difference between walking in the middle of city streets surrounded by skyscrapers and viewing the same scene from a mountaintop peak or from a plane window. And the more I zoom out, the more geography I see, even as the place I’ve searched for continues to shrink in comparison to all that is presented on my screen. This is a lesson in perspective, and perhaps it helps us to see ourselves for who we really are… James offers a corrective to those who’ve been elevated by an arrogant spirit and need to be taken back down to earth. He comes up with his own words to express the Ash Wednesday dictum, Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. To tell others they’re nothing by a vapor that vanishes away does not sounds like good news. And you may wonder why I’ve chosen to focus upon it for today’s mediation. At first, it may appear that James is a nihilist, and, in the spirit of the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, he’s become frustrated to the point of declaring all life as meaningless and human existence insignificant. Perhaps we need to zoom out on the declaration of our dear brother and hear his words in a larger arena. For even as James makes it clear that our time on earth is barely a blip on the screen of eternity, it is – at least – something. And in the eyes of God, it’s something precious. Any boasting, then, is not about ourselves but about the One who created us and called us into being. The One who breathed into us the gift of life and set our hearts to beating. The One who gave us the gift of existence, that we might occupy some space and enjoy some time on this Planet… And when we zoom in, we’re equally amazed that the One who formed us has done so in a remarkably intricate fashion. Indeed, we are fearfully and wonderfully made! Your presence proclaims your significance… We do well to admit that we tend to claim too much. We confidently plan for the morrow and tell ourselves nothing is beyond our reach. Left to our own devices, we’re prone to self-deception. We can too easily and too arrogantly elevate ourselves to godhood – if we don’t occasionally zoom out and gain a more insightful perspective. In the end, James does us a favor by pointing out these things. For we know that pride often goes before a fall. And when it comes to confidence about our future, we do well to push back against these words of James. For while we are all transitory beings on this earth – mere sojourners, not permanent residents – we’re promised that, because of the great mercy of God shown to us in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, our citizenship is in heaven. Where our Lord is, so we will be, to abide in God’s presence forever. And while you cannot be sure of what tomorrow will bring, you can be sure of the One who will bring it. Never doubt that you are a precious treasure. You are exactly that: Because God says so. Your inestimable value is due to God’s own wondrous innovation and amazing grace. And that’s something over which you can rightly rejoice.
Prayer
Lord God of creation, time and eternity, the vastness of Your creation – who can fathom it? We don’t
need to zoom out too far before being overcome by a sense of our insignificance. And yet when we
zoom in, we see that we’re complex, intricate, amazing and beautiful creatures. Help us to see
ourselves, You, and others with Your perspective, that we might be appropriately confident and not
ridiculously arrogant. Thank You for the precious gift of life. Help us to make the best of what You’ve
given us today.
Amen
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Proverbs 31:26
If a poll were taken worldwide to determine who it is who has had the most influence on our lives, Mom would win, hands down. Today, phones will be beeping, buzzing and vibrating (in another generation we would have said they would be ringing off the hook), as children of every age will be calling their moms to express their thanks and appreciation for all that they have done. I’m a full-grown man, much closer to retirement that I am to the day I first began my career. But when I converse with my mom, I’m still a child. As I will ever be, as long as we both are living. I daresay that for all who communicate with their moms this day, as much as they seek to bless them with words of thanks and praise, as creatively and abundantly as they may bestow gifts upon them, as much as they want to give to their moms, there’s something deeper going on inside. For everyone who makes that call today, no matter what age, will have within them a longing to be mothered. This soulful need – to just be and to be loved – is at the core of our being. And I wonder if it ever really leaves us. And on the other end: Can a mother ever stop mothering? She can certainly change her outward expression, but the mother in her only grows richer and develops more fully. For a mother she will always be. Can there be a greater expression of the love of God? The mother who opens her mouth in wisdom, as the verse above makes mention, can do so because of two things: Her heart is attuned to the God who inspires her, and her heart knows more truly than anyone else the child with whom she interacts. Before she opens her mouth, she listens. In her motherly loves, she matches the wisdom God has given her with the need of the beloved before her. The teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Because she wants to give the very best to those most precious to her. Is there any richer earthly blessing than that of a mother’s love? When this love is observed from the outside, even the most dull and insensitive onlooker sees a glimpse of heaven’s love. Does this not bear testimony to the awesome love of the One who created us all? Can there be a more apt portrayal of the heart of God and His care for His children? There is only one greater image I can think of: that of our Lord Jesus, offering up His life on Calvary’s cross… A mother once shared with me words that caused me to wonder and marvel, as she reflected upon her own motherhood: I never knew I could love so fiercely. This is the kind of love so many of us have been blessed with in the one we call mom. And this is nothing less than a reflection of the perfect love of God for us all. For at most, the love bestowed from mother to child and the love enjoyed by children of their mothers is only provisional. As much as we would like to hold on to them, the day comes when their duty is complete. At their best, they will have fostered in us a sense of security that prepares us well as we are propelled into this life. And they will have demonstrated for us the amazing grace of God. I’m grateful for my own mother who has so faithfully gifted me with both of these things. And even as I will express my own appreciation to her today, behind and under it all, I will relish her kind and tender words, for me, her child, who has come to know what is means to be loved by one so fiercely.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, thank You for the wonderful gift You’ve given to me in my mother. For her love
and care and faithful demonstration of Your perfect love for me. Strengthen and bless mothers
everywhere with all that they need to carry out the awesome and precious responsibility You’ve given
them to care for Your children. Grant them patience and kindness and the full measure of Your love. Lift
their eyes heavenward, that they might know they are loved by You and that You delight to look upon
them in their mothering. Protect them in Your grace and fill them with joy. And as they pour forth their
lives for others, may they come to know the full meaning of Your life poured out on Calvary’s cross.
Amen
But for you who revere My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings;
and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
Malachi 4:2
Malachi is the last prophet of the LORD to speak to the people of God. The Jews had returned from their captivity and had reestablished their homeland. The temple had been rebuilt, and the priests had been reinstated. The community had suffered through a time of great turmoil, and now, finally, things were getting back to normal. We who have endured the long days of this pandemic might well empathize with the people in their experience. For we, too, long to get back to normal. But there were some in the community who insisted they should not be too quick to do so. They should instead proceed with caution. The end of their time of trial ought to be celebrated well. (For our part, we’ve not yet reached that end, and we dare not relax our vigilance.) The people in Malachi’s day had good reason to rejoice: Their hardship had reached the fullness of days, and their travails had come to completion. A new day had come, and more should be done with it than simply getting back to normal. This was a new day with fresh opportunity. Having learned well the lessons from the past, they could now more forward to do things differently. They could take care to do it right this time, so they would not be caught up in the same cycle and reap the same consequences. There were those who sought to convince the others in the community that they must order their lives around the LORD and walk in His ways of righteousness, lest they end up in exile again. And yet, how easy it is, after so many weary days, to let out a big sigh of relief and simply settle back into the familiar and comfortable… In the end, the prophet shares words of promise: The LORD will visit His people. The day of the LORD was coming. This certain hope the people could count on and order their lives around. The LORD would destroy wickedness altogether. His holy fire would reduce it – and those connected to it – to ashes. Certainly not good news for those intent on turning their backs on God, forsaking His holy path, and going their own way. But the prophet held out hope for those who would humble themselves before God, take God’s Word seriously, and take care to order their days and their deeds according to God’s prescribed instructions. To them is given the promise: Their long night was over, and a new day was dawning. The sun of righteousness was about to rise in the eastern sky, and the light of God’s holy Word would soon dispel all darkness and remove every shadow of doubt. As the sun moves across the sky (relatively speaking), so God’s powerful righteousness would take on wings to propel it forward – and it would bring healing, wholeness and peace to all the people of God. What effect would this have? They would be like calves made to skip, leap and jump, finally released from the confinement of their stalls to gambol about. They would be set free to be all God created them to be, and they would demonstrate that alignment of action and purpose by expressing themselves in what we must call joy. This is what God wants for all people. A cleric’s arrival at a social event might suppress the sounds of mirth, turn the mood somber, or even end the celebration altogether. But when God shows up, it’s then that the party really begins. For God brings life and love and joy – and He wants all people to exult in His presence.
Prayer
Almighty God, holy, righteous and true: May Your sun of righteousness rise with certainty and strength,
to disperse the mist of our weariness and shine forth with power and warmth and healing. Set us free
from all that holds us captive. Release us from those things that bind us, that we might leap about like
calves loosed from their stalls, to fully express the joy and renewal You come to bring us. On this new
day, let us order our lives according to Your will, that all Your people might rejoice and Your name be
honored and revered above all other names. Work Your will in us and through us for Your glory alone.
Amen
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
Hebrews 9:24
The Book of Hebrews stands apart in the New Testament as having an unidentified author. Various scripters have been suggested. Several have been credited with its contents, but no one has been identified with certainty. However, one thing is clear: The author takes pains to present to a Hebrew audience Jesus as thoroughly Jewish and Christianity not as a competing religion, but one that complements and fulfills the Jewish faith. What had up to that time been seen only in the shadows had finally come into the fullness of light. When Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the law, he had been given instructions to procure components to assemble a worship space called a tabernacle. This structure served as a visible sign of God’s faithful presence among the people. God had given Moses a vision of the tabernacle, and he was told to pattern the one for the people after what he had seen. The author to the Hebrews compares the earthly, provisional tabernacle with the eternal, heavenly dwelling of God. More than that, he presents Jesus as the perfect High Priest, the ideal intercessor and mediator between God and humankind. Earthly priests went about their sacrificial work on behalf of the people – but also on behalf of themselves. For they, too, were sinful. They, too, needed atonement. Jesus – the pure, sinless, spotless Lamb of God – did not need to make satisfaction for His own sin. Neither did He need the blood of animals to effect His perfect sacrifice. For He would offer Himself – pure and unblemished – upon the heavenly altar, once: For all time and for all people. This is the work of Christ. This is the labor of the Messiah. This is the sacrifice made in fullness for you. The price of your redemption has been completely paid. There’s no additional penance required. You need not add to what Christ has already done, through any good works of your own or by borrowing the good works of others. Jesus has taken you all the way there. Your Redeemer has brought you all the way home. You need not worry about making satisfaction for your own sin. And this frees you up to fully invest yourself as God’s servant, through whom God might perform His work of service in the lives of others. You can present yourself as a whole offering before God, to be used by Him as His conduit through which He will pour forth His blessing to others. God so loved the world that He gave… the fullness of Himself. And God continues to love the world through you and through me. The great power of God is revealed in the last two words of this verse. For us. This is the identity and character of God – the One who gives all for His beloved. As you present yourself to be used by God for others, the holy work of Almighty God will be done in you and through you to reveal His glory. Many may have trouble following the reasoned argument of the writer to the Hebrews. And many, frankly, might not care to figure it out. But they will surely recognize the power of a life laid down in love. It is within your capacity to help others see and understand the grace of God that has been poured out – perfectly, completely, wholly – for all those who inhabit this world God so loves. And as you do so, God will use you to serve as His priest, to mediate His love and to intercede on their behalf before the God who loves them.
Prayer
Almighty God of love and grace, in Your Son Jesus, You offered Yourself in sacred sacrifice on our behalf.
How blessed we are to have such a Redeemer! As You make known Your perfect truth, You set us free
from bondage to sin and death and grant us fullness of peace and joy. Continue to transform us by that
truth, that we might lay down own lives in loving service to others. Help them to see Your grace working
through us and come to the full understanding of the salvation that is theirs in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Amen
"Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion;
for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD.
Zechariah 2:10
The people had experienced exile and recently returned to the land of their ancestors. Now the prophet encourages them with words of great hope. The time of their suffering has ended, their penance is paid. God would reestablish them in their homeland and guard them against all enemies. The LORD promises not only that He will come to be with them. God assures them that He will stay: He will dwell in their midst. What a wonderful promise! What glorious hope! Was the prophet speaking metaphorically? Would God be present with them spiritually? Or did God have something else in mind? Something that would exceed even their greatest expectations, surpass even their wildest imaginings? Indeed, God would make good on His promise in a way that was both majestic and humble, extraordinary and yet as plain as plain could be. For very soon the confession would be made that God Himself had landed on Planet Earth. The LORD of all creation had become incarnate in their midst. God would not be found in an ornate palace, clothed in royal robes. He would become part of an ordinary family and be born in humble circumstances. The eternal Word of God would become flesh – and the prophet’s words would come to full fruition and take on new meaning. God would not only make an appearance. God would linger. And God would make His marvelous appeal in Jesus: Abide with Me. Even as Zechariah reports that God’s abiding presence would bring about a joyful response among the people, so the incarnation of God will bring joy to all the earth. God is good – and God comes to save. This is no small thing. For over and over again throughout history, the people were afraid of God’s presence and power – that if God would draw near, it would only be to unleash His wrath on a sinful people who deserved all that was coming to them. But God is faithful to His people, and God will come to rescue and to save, not to condemn. God in intent to deal with His people in grace – which is to say that God interacts with them not according to what is in them or by what they deserve, but according to God’s character and His goodwill toward us. The prophet laid out the hope that God’s presence would mean safety, security and sustenance, as they settled in to the home of their ancestors. Indeed, they were given the promise that God would abide with them. But the prophets would also make their appeal and insist that the people also determine to abide with God, to walk in His ways, to order their lives in the world according to God’s intentions. That God comes to be with us and to abide with us is good news from beginning to end. God’s presence ought to produce in us joy unlike any other. Even so, as we determine to align ourselves with God and to live according to His purposes, our presence will also be met with joy in the communities we enter. God’s coming and God’s abiding presence in our midst: This is good news, through and through. Let us faithfully bear witness to God’s amazing grace in the words that we speak. And let our own presence in others’ lives bear out this truth. May we, the people of God, demonstrate to all, in the lives that we live and in our interactions with them, that God’s abiding presence is not something from which we should cower and or something that should cause us to hide away in fear. Rather, we may rejoice with all that is in us at the nearness of our God, who is strong to save.
Prayer
Holy God, faithful and true, we give You thanks that You drawn near to Your people in grace. You do not
come to condemn. You have determined to come to our rescue and to bring us salvation. Open our eyes
fully to Your goodness, and help us to faithfully communicate all that we discover, in the witness that we
bear and in our every interaction with others. May we live our lives in a manner that is consistent with
Your character and the good intentions You have demonstrated for us, to the glory of Your name.
Amen
Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
Philemon 20
I receive many letters of appeal from an assortment of organizations for a variety of good causes. I’ll bet you do, too. I’ve also written my fair share of them, for endeavors I believe in. If you’re ever presented with the task of asking for support from others for a project that is larger than you, one you know you cannot complete apart from the assistance of others, Paul’s short letter to Philemon is worth reading and studying. Not only because it addresses everything that should go into a letter of appeal, but because it puts you in the right frame of mind to write one. In this section of his letter, we gain insight into several aspects of the apostle’s appeal. Let’s break it down… Yes. The word is not superfluous. It’s both positive and reiterative. By using this word of affirmation, the apostle stresses and repeats what he’s already laid out, even as he continues to build his case. To repeat oneself need not come across as a persistent nagging that will continue until a desired answer is received. In this case, Paul emphasizes the importance of the matter about which he writes, and he accentuates how much it means to him. Paul’s persuasion is commensurate with his message. Brother. Here the partnership between Paul and Philemon and the close relationship they share is recognized and affirmed. Paul will bring out the best in Philemon and spur him on to live into the fullness of the brotherhood they share. Benefit. Literally: To do or to make good. Paul’s appeal is for a good cause, and he assures Philemon that if he takes action, he will not regret his decision. It’s a good matter he places before him, and Philemon can be assured that much good will come out of it. The central cause which moves Paul to write this letter will not be the only thing that benefits. By rising up to the task, Paul assures Philemon that he will also bring benefit to Paul personally. Refresh my heart. Paul has already commended Philemon for refreshing the hearts of others. He has affirmed his past faithfulness, the joy he has brought to others, and the meaningful effect he has had in those areas that matter most. For Paul, the matter of which he speaks is important to him personally; it is heartfelt. He as much as says: It will really mean a lot to me if you step up to do this good thing. In the Lord… in Christ. Finally, by using these words, Paul communicates that he’s convinced it is God’s will for this to happen. Paul makes his appeal not only because of his own personal desires. He writes as an apostle, an emissary of God, one who feels compelled, by God, to carry out the work God has set before him. And by these words Paul inasmuch asks Philemon if he would be the conduit of the blessings God seeks to pour out. Consider who wins if Philemon responds positively: God’s purposes will be accomplished, Paul’s heart will be refreshed, a runaway slave will be forgiven and received into full fellowship (the particular matter about which Paul writes), and the Christian community will rejoice when they learn of the grace of God that has been demonstrated. And there’s more: For Philemon, too, will benefit by responding to the apostle’s initiative. He will discover the truth of Jesus’ statement: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, open my eyes and grant me vision to see what You would to accomplish in Your
world. Capture my heart and inspire me to get fully on board with Your purposes and intentions. Help
me articulate well Your mission – in ways persuasive, not coercive – to the end that the workers in the
fields of Your kingdom would increase and a full harvest might be gathered. May all come to know the
joy of being useful conduits of Your blessing, for the benefit of Your people and the glory of Your name.
Amen
Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts,
"Consider your ways!"
Haggai 1:5
To the wise Socrates was attributed the statement, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” As long as he had life left in him, he was intent on seeking wisdom, and he preferred death over any kind of life that would prevent him from continuing this pursuit. We humans are blessed with the ability to make reasoned decisions and to reflect upon them. Having been created with such aptitude, we do not live into the fullness of our being if we do not use the mind God has given us and consider our ways. The prophet has a particular reason he speaks the words God put in his mouth. His people had been engaged in individual pursuits: They were spending time and energy building themselves the best houses money could buy – all while the house of God lay in ruins. They had chosen their own well-being over and above the welfare of the community. Their lives were focused on personal gain, instead of aiming to please the LORD who made them. The Scriptures are consistent in their witness that God created all humanity good. Of all that God has made, we humans are unique in having been created in the image of God. Some will say this is the rational aspect of our nature, as described above: We are self-reflective creatures. Others will say that to be created in God’s image means we have been created to love – as God has loved us. The Scriptures are also univocal in telling us that we have all gone wrong. We have been infected by sin. What does that look like from the outside? Having been created in love, to love God and neighbor in return, we have, instead, focused our attention on self-centered goals. Love for God and neighbor is instead turned back in on itself – and this is sin at its core. Those who returned from exile had a chance to do it right this time. And the prophet knew that the proper orientation of life was to recognize that God was the reason for their existence and every good thing that came their way – and that God should be acknowledged and worshiped at the center of their community… How might these sobering words call us to reflect upon our own lives before God? Because sin has infected us just as much as it did them, we too are prone to make some of the same mistakes. We want to be first in line, and a voice inside tells us no one deserves it more. We come up with all kinds of reasons to justify our thoughts and behavior: “I can’t live another person’s life. And I won’t take responsibility for them.” “To each his own; if everyone did their own thing, it would all equal out in the end – and life would be as it should be.” “Some people are ambitious, others are lazy: Everyone gets what he deserves.” The sinful self in each of us can use these words to justify our selfish decisions and pacify any misgivings we have about them. And we close our ears to the Voice that tells us otherwise. As we consider our ways before God, we will, as Luther counseled, die to our sinful ourselves and come alive to the ways of God. Jesus showed us how to live godly lives in community and pleasing lives before God. He presented Himself before His Father in faithful service, and He demonstrated how to love others and how to reflect the image of God. Let us also consider our ways before God – this day and every day. It’s then, with eyes fixed on Jesus, our perfect example, that we will live lives truly worth living.
Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, You have created us in love and for love. All too often we take the rich
and abundant blessings You pour out upon us – to be enjoyed and shared with others – and we hoard
them. Teach us that we need not be anxious or concerned about Your goodness and grace. Help us truly
learn of Your character – that You are good and that You will never cease to be good to us. Transform
our hearts, that we might not be so consumed by self that we neglect our neighbor in need. Help us to
rightly consider our ways in light of Your will, that our lives might be lived in fidelity and truth, and bring
You glory.
Amen
... to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for every person.
Titus 3:2
Titus had been left behind on Crete, about 250 miles south of Athens by sea. His responsibility on that Greek island was to set in order the church of God, to identify leaders he might leave in charge of the Christian community, to carry on the ministry of the Lord. The apostle lists many characteristics of acceptable candidates for service, including those in the verse above. These qualities make for good leaders, and they also serve to bear witness to the character of God, consistent as they are with the way of Christ. This list not only served Titus well in his endeavor to choose responsible leaders in the first century church, it is worthy of consideration for all who desire to emulate Jesus and walk in the path of godliness. Malign may not be a word you use often. But its cognate is surely familiar: malignant. That’s a word you don’t want to hear from your doctor. It signifies active and evil power. A force that’s dangerous and destructive. To malign another person is to criticize and defame them with the intent of bringing them down. We see examples of this in political debates when things get ugly. A candidate’s attention turns away from policies and programs to attack an opponent’s character. Words are spoken to put others in the worst possible light. They’re unfairly critical, headstrong in their effort to ruin another’s reputation. They’re mean, nasty, cancerous. Steer clear of this spirit, says the apostle. This kind of leader is not representative of Jesus, and it won’t serve the people of the church well. Besides, it will serve as a poor witness to unbelievers, blinding them to the grace of God manifested in Jesus. Contentious is another characteristic to be avoided. And again, its meaning becomes clear when we consider its cognate: contend. While some might want a fighter on their team, a warrior at the helm, this spirit, too, is to be avoided. There’s more than enough conflict that arises without having a leader intent on creating more of it. Some are wont to seek this kind of pushy leader, who won’t take no for an answer and will leave no one standing in their take-no-prisoners endeavor to get their own way. But this is not the way of Jesus. And it would be misguided for Titus to choose someone of this spirit to serve as a representative of God’s Church. Instead, Titus should seek those of gentle spirit, those who show consideration for every person. Those who will not seek to quench the spirit in others or shut them down. Instead, raise up leaders who will take the time to listen carefully to the reticent. Those who will allow everyone a fair hearing. Those who will exclude none. Those will seek to bring out the best in all. Titus was to look for servant leaders – those who had come to learn the ways of Jesus and had His Spirit living in them. They wouldn’t seek to consolidate or usurp power. Instead, they’d recognize the Holy Spirit of God as the real power behind the Church, and do all that they could to empower the body of Christ to do the work God had commissioned it to do. It was important for Titus to begin well and to raise up leaders who would show believers how to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of their Christian calling. And it behooves the church today to rise up to follow this same example. Indeed, nothing less than the future of the Church is at stake. For if we expect those on the outside looking in to regain their trust in God’s Church, we must be intent to faithfully bear witness to the redemption our Lord has brought us. And there is no other way to do that than by being consistent with its essence – in the words we speak, in the actions we carry out, and in the attitude by which we serve. To do otherwise is unconscionable and would be unfaithful to our calling as God’s Church.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, thank You for the faithful leaders You’ve inspired and raised up before us, those
who’ve helped us to see You clearly and to learn of Your ways. Help us to recognize those in whom Your
Spirit resides and to choose our future leaders carefully. Grant each of them the humility to seek You
out each day, that their hearts and minds might be sanctified by You, so that they might, in a worthy
manner, guide others in Your holy ways. To You alone, most holy God, be all honor, glory and praise,
forever.
Amen
Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11
It sure has been a very hard and long road. When I heard these words spoken I did not doubt them for a moment, for I had heard enough of her story to know that her words were true. This life is not always easy. To put it the other way around: This life is often very hard. And it is not always understandable. Bad things happen to good people, and since the human mind has been able to consider the question, theologians – who insist on believing in a God who is good – have struggled to make sense of it. Even sacred scripture bears witness to prayers that are not answered by God according to the desire of the one who prays. The apostle Paul testifies that he entreated the Lord three times to remove what he called a thorn in his flesh, but God had said No. Even Jesus Himself pleaded with His Father to remove the cup He knew He had to drink, and His Father denied Him. But in these particular cases, God did not forsake those who sought Him in prayer. And He does not forsake those who seek him in prayer today. Instead, He promises sufficient grace to handle what is before you in the present. Enough strength to handle the challenge you’re facing now. Jesus teaches us to pray that God would supply what is needed for this day. In so doing, He fosters in His followers an ongoing relationship with the living God. God has proved to be faithful. And there are times in our lives when we are humbled to the extent of a baby bird with mouth wide open, trusting that its mother, in her good care, will provide all that is needed. Grace sufficient for today – that is the promise of God. And let it be your humble prayer. As you bow yourself before God’s presence each day, you will learn to live in God’s faithful love. You’ll come to know the care of the One who created you in love and redeemed you in love and has promised in love that you will enjoy His presence forever. Not only will God provide for your spiritual needs, God will also work through others to support you in your time of difficulty. Be not ashamed to share your struggles. God will empower others to come to your aid. The inspired community has been given to you for that very purpose. Hang on. Hold on. And know that God is holding onto you – and He has promised to walk with you every step of the way.
Prayer
Lord God, faithful Creator and loving Savior, in Your goodness and grace You provide for Your people all that they need from day to day. Open my eyes to Your loving grace. Thank you for sustaining my spirit and strengthening me through the loving community of Your Church. Help me be open to the care of others, knowing that it is You who are working through them to support me in my time of need. Teach me to live in daily dependence upon You, that I might thereby learn of Your faithfulness. And empower me to come alongside those who are hurting, that I might encourage them to trust that You are faithfully abiding with them in their time of need and will grant Your abundant grace, sufficient for the cares of this day.
Amen
For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
that all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
Zephaniah 3:9
What groups do you belong to? You’re a member of many of them, to be sure. You have a nation to which you belong, and you are a citizen in it. You lay claim to some heritage and culture. You may belong to a book club, a wine group, a health association, a medical group. You may be a member of a team at work, a religious organization, or a neighborhood committee. Each of belongs to several different affiliations. And every one you’re part of has those that belong and those that don’t. The included and the excluded. It’s what happens when we draw a circle around those of us who are on the inside to form a group in the first place… The Israelites saw themselves as the people of God. Even more than that: The center of their identity is that they were God’s the chosen ones. What, then, does that say about others? And what can be said about the LORD who had formed them in the first place and set them apart from all other nations? Is God provincial? Particular? Picky? Is God partial to a choice few, dismissive of all others? The prophet reminds the people of God’s greater vision. The people did claim, after all, that the LORD was the God of all the earth, the One and Only. And the one to whom they looked as the father of their nation, Abraham himself, was told by God from the get-go that through his descendants God would bring blessing to all nations. It was always God’s intention to include everyone, Jew and Gentile. Abraham and his descendants were to play a significant and special role in achieving that purpose. And although the prophet could not yet see it, One would come who would claim both Abraham and David as His ancestor, and He would later offer Himself in a new covenant, as the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world. Others would later write about Him that He is our peace – not only between us and God, but between us and each other. He would thus bring Jew and Gentile together and fulfill God’s original intention. Zephaniah recognizes a time when God will give to the peoples (nations) purified lips – by which he means that they will forsake all false and foolish idols and worship the LORD alone. Then all the LORD’s people will serve Him as one, shoulder to shoulder, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Jew and Gentile will serve God, side by side, and bow before God’s holy throne together. They will willingly join forces, to bring about God’s good and perfect will… After being part of a group for some time, we will form an identity and enjoy a sense of belonging. We relish each other’s company, and we rejoice in the place we have within the body. But there’s a spirit that tends to creep in, leading us to seal our groups tightly from any outside, contaminating influence, to shut and lock our doors, keeping out those who do not belong. Those we do let in are looked upon with quiet suspicion. The newly inducted are given provisional status, made to go through a time of trial and testing, a probationary period, during which they must prove themselves. Rules are written to maintain identity and to distinguish ourselves from those who do not belong. The prophet sees God wipe the slate clean and fling the doors of His house wide open. We may well rejoice that the LORD claims us as His own, but we dare not claim possession of God. He will be owned by no one. His truth will ring forth to be heard by all nations, and His steadfast love will endure forever. Let us bow down together in humble adoration and offer ourselves, with willing hearts and minds, to be conduits of God’s mercy and grace.
Prayer
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You alone are Lord of heaven and earth. You have created all who
inhabit the nations of the world, and You lay claim to each and every one of us. Help us be faithful in our
worship, to offer our praise and gratitude to You alone. May Your good and perfect will be done in us
and through us, as we carry out Your purposes as one people, excluding no one and including all.
Transform us until our hearts beat according to Your holy rhythm and intention, to the glory of Your
blessed name.
Amen
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