Your devotion for today
What matters most (Friday, September 3)
Where we are physically in our lives does not always reveal where we are spiritually. Our body can be worn down but our spirit can be strong and robust. On the other hand, we can be empty inside at the same time we appear happy and whole. What the world sees is not always who we really are in Christ.
It is easy to get caught up in the ways of everyone around us. We can become more concerned about appearances than we are about our inner self. We want to have a nice house, an attractive car, new clothes, a good job and plenty of money. In the light of eternity, these things mean little. But many people spend a lifetime trying to achieve these marks of success.
What truly matters is what no one else can really see: what we do to serve Our Lord and King. People rarely notice everything we do for others or the time we spend in prayer. Nor does the world see what is in our hearts and the little things we do each day to glorify God.
We have to strive more toward the invisible than we do the visible – seek the infinite rather than the finite. What we see now will all pass away; what is hidden will last into eternity. You and I have to be careful that we do not give away any part of ourselves to the world. Once we learn how to be content with who we are in the Lord, nothing else will seem important. Not even what people say or think about us.
The whole world (Thursday, September 2)
As a child, I sang one particular song more than any other: “He’s got the whole world in his hands.” He has you, and me, our brothers and sisters, the tiny little babies, the sun and the moon, the night and the day, the wind and the rain. . . . He’s got the whole world in his hands.
Maybe it has been a while since you heard that song. Maybe even a tad longer since you sang it to yourself. Why not do it right now? If you’re at work or in a crowd, you can hum it in your head. And don’t be afraid to improvise. Make up your own lyrics. God really has everything in his hands.
How about something like this: he’s got the people at the office in his hands; he’s got the children in the school in his hands; he’s got the farmers in the fields in his hands; he’s got the cars on the highway in his hands. He’s got the universe in his hands. God sure does.
If we start singing this song more, we might start believing more. The key to our faith is convincing ourselves of the truth that God has us in his hands. Amen!
Safe in the center (Wednesday, September 1)
All around on every side, life goes on. The traffic, schedules, meetings, appointments and shopping threaten our peace. The business and turmoil of every day can rapidly steal the pleasure of living.
Life can feel like we are stuck in the center of a hurricane. The winds of trouble swirl fast, completely surrounding us. It is like being in the eye of a fierce storm. But the eye of a hurricane can be wide and quiet. Intense rain and wind are gone. There is an eerie stillness that is hard to describe. One minute is tranquil and the next is violent.
Each day has the potential to engulf us. We can become caught in the powerful bands of the storm or at rest in the center. Our position matters, both in our minds and in our relationship with the Lord.
Everything turns on faith. Do we trust him to keep us protected or do we become unnerved by the approaching eye wall? Let us not forget that he is greater than anything on earth. In truth, he is greater than anything in the universe, visible or invisible. God can keep us safe in the center because the world revolves around him.
Unseen presence (Tuesday, August 31)
What a comfort to know we are always in the Lord’s hands. That does not mean everything will turn out the way we would like, but it does mean that he is completely and continuously in charge. His protection is on each one of us every minute and he knows what we are going through. Nothing escapes his attention. Not our health, our work, our hardships or our frustrations.
We must learn to lean on him and trust him more. We also need to understand the many ways in which he takes care of us. This past weekend, God revealed a medical problem to me that I would not have known until it was too late. I had volunteered to donate blood. When I went to the Red Cross site, I was told my blood pressure was in the critical stage. I had no idea, but God did.
How many times each day does God show us his love and care? Maybe we are experiencing pain in some part of our body. While we might not think much about it, perhaps God is letting us know that we need to see a doctor. A small ache could be the telltale sign of something more serious. He is prompting us to act.
I was frustrated that I could not donate blood because of my blood pressure, especially after waiting for nearly two hours. But it made me go to the doctor immediately. A disappointment turned out to be a good thing in disguise. God was watching over me even when I was not conscious of his presence.
He is in charge (Monday, August 30)
The church goes on. Day after day and year after year. God’s kingdom here on earth continues despite changes and loss. Our small congregation in Virginia Beach is proof of his power.
During the past several years, our church has lost one member after another: several wonderful singers, a pastor, a director of Christian Education, a music director. Still, as each person left, one by one God brought new leaders and more members. His work in our community went on without interruption.
Honestly, this little body of believers is actually stronger and more effective than ever. People come and go, but God remains. He is there when human beings move on or away. God does not leave. He stays forever.
We can be confident about the future because God is ever-present from now to ever-lasting life. His way may not always be the easiest, for him or us. We can be sure, though, that everything goes according to his will. No matter what people decide.
Instant recall (Sunday, August 29)
Jesus taught us the way. Do this, he says to us, as I have shown you. Jesus tells us to follow in his footsteps and to let him lead us. Yet there are times when I claim to forget his example. Most of us, however, do not forget Jesus. What we do is to make a decision, consciously or subconsciously, to ignore him.
It occurred to me the other morning, as I was washing the dishes and putting everything back in the proper place, that I could remember exactly where each item belonged. I did not even have to think about where to put the pans, the forks, the cups and the plates. I have programmed myself to know. Plus, I use these things almost everyday. I probably could not forget what went in each space even if I tried.
If I can recall something so basic and simple, how is it that I can forget how to act at times? I can get into an argument or insult someone, and then convince myself that I suddenly forgot the commandment to love others as myself. The truth is that I have decided to reject the right thing in favor of what I feel like doing.
I am not fooling anyone, most of all the Lord, when I say I forget his teachings. I remember all right. It's just that I favor my way rather than his.
To please him (Saturday, August 28)
Circumstances tend to be neutral. Our reactions are what make them positive or negative. When I think about all I need to do today, I can feel excited or overwhelmed. My attitude depends on how I am looking ahead. Some things, like doing yard work, are not what I want to do. But others, such as going to the movies, make me happy. Everything revolves around what I think.
We get it in our heads at times what we want to do and what we do not want to do. We often make things more difficult because of our feelings. What point is there in dreading even the most mundane of chores? They must be done anyway, no matter what our thoughts at the moment.
Jesus was, I think, implying that there are eternal consequences for our notions and actions here on earth when he gave Peter the keys to the kingdom. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Perhaps part of what he meant is that we must approach each one of our days and each one of our responsibilities as a gift from God, not as a punishment from him. Let us serve him with a happy heart in all that we do. May we look forward to pleasing God and forget about pleasing ourselves. After all, everything we do should be for him.
A change for the better (Friday, August 27)
Sometimes we fail miserably. We say things we do not mean; we hurt someone else and also hurt ourselves in the process. We fall far below our own aspirations and someone else’s expectations, not to mention those of God.
When all is said and done, what we are left with is regret. We cannot take back harmful words or angry emotions; they linger in the mind like haunting echoes. It is not easy to erase them from our memory. We must try, however, to ask for forgiveness: from the one we hurt, from God and from ourselves.
In the end, we need to change. Whatever we did or said does not need to happen again, if we take time to examine ourselves and our situation. Let us see ourselves for who we are, with all of our flaws and faults, and gather the strength to be honest. We need to deal with our problems before our irrational feelings take control of us.
Most of all, let us realize that we are not alone. Help is everywhere. There are people who love us, and we have a God who promises to guide us. May we stop what we are doing right now and decide to change for the better. Let us move forward toward a better life and not backwards to where we started. The difference is in saying “I’m sorry” and in really meaning it.
Learning to follow (Thursday, August 26)
As long as we think we can rely on our own resources, we will. Our ability to work and earn money naturally offers us a sense of security and confidence. We know what we are able to do for ourselves, without anyone’s help, even when everything else seems to fall through. We believe there is always something we can do so we will not go hungry and homeless.
But real faith comes when we trust God completely for everything – when we admit we will not and cannot live another hour or day without his grace, his mercy and his protection. Our daily confession must be that he is not all we have, but he is everything we have. All must come from God first. He is not second, after we have exhausted our strength, money and reserves. We possess what we have and who we are because God gave to us generously, first and foremost.
Let us dispense with the notion that everything will be okay because of what we can do for ourselves – that we can take care of our basic needs even if God does not come through. Our strength, our resourcefulness, our very breath all begin with him. He decides what we can and cannot do. We have to make the decision whether to trust him in all things or continue to think that we somehow control some things.
God must be in everything or it is nothing. Trusting him completely means we are complete only when we follow him. He is the one who leads, and we must learn to follow. Our life depends on him, not us.
The Father's glory on us (Wednesday, August 25)
This morning, I was thinking once again about our Lord’s prayer. Not the usual Lord’s Prayer, but the one that Jesus prayed to the Father shortly before his crucifixion. The book of John records what Jesus asked on our behalf. He prays for God’s protection on all of his disciples, both those in the present age and those to come.
Jesus is praying for us today when he says, “I have given them the glory that you gave me.” Imagine what we possess: the very glory, the magnificence and splendor, of God. Jesus has not kept it for himself. Instead, he has passed it on to us.
The question is what do we do with his glory? Often, we remove it from ourselves. We say the wrong things or commit shameful actions that do not bring glory to the Father. Or we take away the glory of God from someone else. We criticize another believer for not being sensitive to others, for not being a good leader or even for trying to act superior.
Who are we to steal the glory of God from ourselves or another person? We do not have that right no matter how wrong things seem to be. Jesus bestowed the wonder of God on each and every one of us. May we remember this great blessing as we go forth to show his divine brilliance to the world.
His vision for us (Tuesday, August 24)
The closer we are to God, the farther away we are from the world and its problems. Difficulties take on a much different appearance from a distance. The things that seem to threaten us the most suddenly lose their impact and affect when we are standing next to God.
Being caught up in a turmoil of trouble distorts our perspective and influences our feelings. We replace hope with dread. There seems to be no way out of our predicament. We become angry and upset because we are looking in the wrong direction. We tend to view our experiences as human beings rather than as children of God.
The image of a child and a parent should be fixed in our minds. Remember all of times when you and I were younger. We had no fear if we had our mother or father at our side. We were invincible and we felt completely safe. Our parents were there to protect us from anything and everything.
Perhaps we have lost that assurance as adults. Maybe we are in a situation right now, or we know of something that is coming down the road, and we are already worried. We are never alone when we are next to God. Being at his side, we are fully protected by him. If we will take the time to draw near, he can show us the future he sees. Not the one we imagine on our own.
With him (Monday, August 23)
All of us have handicaps. These might be visible, but they may also be deeply hidden. We know we have them and we must face them each day. The good news is that we do not deal with them alone. God can help us.
Paul had some sort of thorn in the flesh. He never revealed his problem to the world, yet he prayed earnestly for the Lord to heal him. The healing he sought never came. Still, he continued to serve the Lord. Peter, too, had a handicap; he was always impetuous, ready to react at the first sign of trouble. Then there was Thomas who doubted even Jesus. We are no different today. Our handicaps keep us from many things. Most of all, from moving forward in our lives and making the most out of what we have been given.
In some sports, individuals have a handicap – a special number that evens the playing field. It makes up for our lack of ability and allows us to compete with those who may have better skills. When it comes to God, we have more than what we need to do anything. In the name of Jesus, we can heal, prosper, succeed and overcome. There is nothing that can hold us back from accomplishing the Lord’s will, both for us and for others.
Yes, we may have handicaps – those physical or mental impairments that hinder us – but we also have God’s handicapping, his divine ability, to give us complete success. With him, we cannot fail. Without him, we cannot win.
WWW and the Word (Sunday, August 22)
This country is often called the land of opportunity. But the greater land of opportunity is the world. We have an opportunity to serve the Lord everywhere, not just where we live. With the Internet and modern technology, we are able to send the good news of salvation and Christ to people on the other side of the earth without leaving our living room.
There is really no limit to what we can do with a computer these days. With tens of thousands of websites devoted to telling the story of Jesus, we can add our voice to the many blogs or even create one of our own. We also can start our own website and become Internet missionaries of a sort.
Our presence as Christians on the web should be everywhere. We should be in chat rooms, discussion groups and on social networking sites. People may not always appreciate what we have to say, but they will remember what we said, especially when they need help. We can be modern disciples of the 21st century, reaching the lost for the kingdom.
We can spread his Word by our words on the world wide web. God is everywhere and we can tell people wherever they might be.
Going out (Saturday, August 21)
Going anywhere, especially on a trip, requires physical and mental preparation. There are items to pack and many miles to travel. Being ready means accepting what must be done before leaving home.
Living each day for God is similar. Preparing to serve him involves thinking ahead – not only for what is immediate but also for what is far off in the distance. The events of one day are another step toward heaven. The finite actions of these hours right now will eventually become the infinite life of eternity.
The physical and the spiritual coexist at the same time and often blend together. As a person packs for a week at the beach, for example, he is thinking about everything that is needed.
Opportunities to help others are everywhere: at the store, the mall, the neighborhood, the gas station. Being mindful of what should be done for the Lord is being aware of where all of these things are leading. The ephemeral acts today will end up in the everlasting reality of tomorrow.
God with us (Friday, August 20)
In the quiet times, we have a chance to re-discover ourselves. God speaks softly, gently, and reminds us what our lives are all about. The image he reveals to us is much different than the familiar one we most often see.
The snapshot we carry around in our minds is lonely and desolate. We are by ourselves, looking up toward heaven. But the image God shows us is full, complete; we are safe and secure. He is there with us, protecting us and showing us which direction to go.
When we glimpse the image of God with us, we realize that we are never alone. He is always there, in the struggles as well as the successes. No matter how lost and deserted we may feel at times, the truth is that there are always two figures in the picture. We can see God standing next to us even though he is unseen by the rest of the world.
We also start to understand who we are with and in him, not merely by ourselves.
Giving with gladness (Thursday, August 19)
God loves a cheerful giver. Paul reminded his sisters and brothers in Corinth to give with joy. Whatever we do today, we need to remember this caveat. There is no sense in giving out of anger or resentment because it does not do God or us any good.
Paul is talking about more than money. Giving of our time, talents, gifts and wisdom are just as important. Each person has one or more skills that can be used for the glory of his kingdom. No matter the ability – singing, teaching, cleaning, cooking, ministering, leading, painting, fixing – the Lord wants us to use what he has given us to serve others. And we should offer ourselves with glad and joyful hearts.
What can be accomplished by a cold and grudging attitude? What good is volunteering to look good or to be considered one of the team? We often push ourselves into situations and places where we do not belong. Then we wonder why we become resentful, upset and frustrated. “I’ll do it but I don’t have to enjoy it,” we mumble to ourselves. At such times, we are thinking more of ourselves than the people we are helping or serving, most of all God.
He will never ask us to stress ourselves to the limits so we are completely exhausted and drained. We are the ones who always press on in spite of our physical and mental strength. The result is that we become cheerless, and not cheerful. When we give, we have to make sure our heart is in it for the right reason. Otherwise we are wasting both God’s time and our energy.
Whatever you need (Wednesday, August 18)
God never fails us. He is always at our side to strengthen, encourage and guide us. God is powerful enough to help us accept any situation, whether we are dealing with frustration, confusion, disease, pain, loneliness or rejection. Our trust in him must go beyond how we think or feel. Even in our darkest moments, when we physically feel the worst, the spiritual love of our Father can lift us out of the suffering.
The greatest example of his power was shown to us by Jesus. We remember his prayer in the Garden as he faced his own physical death. Jesus sweat drops of blood as he asked our Father to remove the cup of suffering that he was born to accept. God did not take away the mental and physical torment of his son, but he did give him the divine ability to endure.
So it is with us. God does not always eliminate our sickness or anguish. But he does grant us the capacity to rise above our earthly agony and sorrow. Through the joy of knowing that we belong to an omniscient and omnipotent God, we are able to receive the peace that transcends anything we think or know. Scripture reminds us of this truth: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
He gives us the very same peace that the Father gave him in the garden.
Pieces of our lives (Tuesday, August 17)
The circumstances in our lives sometimes seem like parts of a jigsaw puzzle, especially when we are young. One piece is here, another there, still another is someplace else. But as we grow older, the pieces suddenly begin to fall into place. We see that the events in our lives do fit together, forming one complete and beautiful picture.
Through all the years, God has been guiding us. All the times in our lives, the good as well as the bad, make up who and what we are. While all of these occasions may seem totally unrelated to us, God has a different plan. He uses everything in our lives to mold the person he wants us to be. He even makes use of the insignificant and shadowy pieces – those events that we would like to leave out or forget.
Piece by piece our life is put together by God’s loving hand. He knows how all of the pieces fit and where they belong. When he is finally finished, the full image reveals a picture of priceless beauty far beyond anything we could have ever imagined. But all along, God knew what he was putting together.
To worry or not (Monday, August 16)
For most of us, we are guilty of always worrying or planning about tomorrow. While we are going through one day, we are already dwelling on the next. We think about the meeting we have to attend, the shopping we need to do and the many things we want to complete.
Much of the time, we are not where we are. Physically, we may be living in Monday, but our minds have moved on to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Not only are we missing many important details of our journey today. We also are using up ourselves on things that have not happened yet.
“Do not worry about tomorrow,” Jesus said, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” We spend and expend too much of our time and energy on the future. We have more than enough to deal with today, and yet we add the troubles of tomorrow. So, too, we have enough strength for this day and we use much of it worrying about the next 24 hours.
Let us not wear ourselves out or down by trying to take care of situations before they occur. Remember, God has prepared us for what he has asked us to do. He is confident about tomorrow and we should be as well.
Unfinished parable (Sunday, August 15)
When Jesus spoke, the crowds usually got the message. Even children could understand. All of his parables put people in the position of making a decision: to do what would please God or what would please the world.
One story in Luke, however, ends without a clear message. It is the account of a farmer who planted a fig tree. For three years, he waited for it to bear fruit. Finally, he said to the one who tended the vineyard, “Cut it down. Why should it use up the soil?” But the other begged, “Leave it alone for one more year. I will dig around it and fertilize. If there is no fruit then, cut it down.”
The parable ends abruptly, without any resolution or solution. No doubt Jesus wants us to think deeply about what should be done. Should the poor tree be given another year? Perhaps it will grow. On the other hand, it has had three years and nothing has happened. The time has come at last to cut it down and concentrate on the good trees.
With respect to our own lives, the underlying message seems to be that there will come a time when it will be too late: too late to turn back, too late to ask for more time and too late to make amends. We need to make sure we are always producing fruit in his vineyard.
Keeping one day holy (Saturday, August 14)
For Jews, today is the Sabbath. For Christians, Sunday is the Sabbath. No matter when it is celebrated, the Lord’s Day is a holy time. It is a day to set aside all but the essential elements of life. We honor the Creator with devoting one day of the week completely to him.
As we do so, we are changed. We are pulled away from the daily activities of the world: away from work, away from errands, away from meetings, away from the newspaper and, maybe, even away from watching television. The day seems to slow down as we calm down. We begin to feel the beauty of being alive.
I was a young boy when there where Blue Laws on Sunday. Nothing could be open except for businesses that provided most essential services. Even restaurants were closed. There are times when I wish we could return to those days to restore the peacefulness that we so desperately need today.
Each one of us can, if we want, give this one special day back to God. We can take care of everything we need in six days and set aside a holy time – both for God and for ourselves. Now, more than ever, we need to be quiet and listen to him.
Not ours to judge (Friday, August 13)
The right to judge is not ours. It is God’s alone. Even when we have been harmed by others, we still do not have the privilege to condemn them. Jesus never sentenced his accusers. To the end, his life reflected what he said on the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Despite being tormented and taunted for years, let alone what was done to him on Calvary, Jesus resisted the temptation to judge. “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them,” he said, “I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.”
It is easy to judge the world. All we have to do is look around us and think about certain people or specific incidents. There are many I would have liked to condemn through the years and I know many could have condemned me as well. I have had my share of sins and so have they. Still, Jesus did not have the power to judge and neither do we. To do so, in any situation, means we think more of ourselves than of Jesus.
Our purpose, like that of our master, is to save people. We will not be popular and we will face extreme opposition. The world hated Jesus and it will hate us, too. The Father will decide what to do on that final day when all will be judged, including you and me.
Nothing short of a miracle (Thursday, August 12)
God’s incredible wonders occur daily. His invisible hand guides and protects us in ways we do not always see. It is nothing short of a miracle that my wife has been driving 50 miles each day, to and from work, and has never been in an accident. It is a miracle, too, that we continue to receive the gift of life each morning. Another miracle is our good health, though we sometimes complain about our aches and pains.
Our entire lives and bodies are miracles of creation. We are created out of nothing. We are made something special by him, and we are given everything. Day after day, we receive all we need from above. Nothing is missing. Not even a hair.
True to his word, God provides for us every moment. As we change and life changes all around us, God sees our need. He hears us and answers our prayers. Then he shows us what to do as he leads the way and we follow. He is always up ahead, making straight the path, and he is always behind, keeping us safe and carrying us along.
Today’s miracles are manifold and many. Once we pause to realize all he has done, we will recognize that this is no ordinary day.
All to him I owe (Wednesday, August 11)
Jesus performed thousands of miracles during his lifetime. The gospels give us an idea of the range and magnitude of his ability. He stilled storms. He fed 5,000. He cleansed lepers. He healed paralytics. He cured the blind. He raised Lazarus. He cast out demons. He restored a soldier’s ear.
Day after day for three years, Jesus went out among the sick, the lame, the needy and the lost to help them. He traveled from town to town spreading the good news of the kingdom to all who would listen, to all who had faith. There is no telling how many lives were changed, but he truly changed the world.
Everything he did was for everyone else. All of the miracles were for others. He even turned water into wine for guests at a wedding and walked on water to show his disciples the power of faith. Still, he did nothing for himself. Not one little act. He could have escaped the temptation in the wilderness. He could have stopped his own execution. He could have come down off of the cross. But he suffered it all.
His sacrifice was full, from the moment he was born until he was dead and buried. Jesus gave his life completely. He did not withhold anything he had been given by the Father. He shared it all and kept none of it for himself. Through his blood, we now possess his very power and victory. We owe everything we have to him.
Father knows best (Tuesday, August 10)
Years ago, there was a television program called “Father Knows Best.” The weekly black-and-white series was about three children who were always involved in some kind of dilemma. Inevitably, the father of the family would come up with a way to resolve each and every problem. The episodes all ended with the child realizing the father’s wisdom.
God the father is our father who knows best. He has the answer for every circumstance in life. He can tell us what to do when we are depressed, when we feel lonely, when we are overworked and underappreciated. He has our best in mind regardless of what we think.
There is no mountain too high or valley so low that can frustrate God. He triumphs in any encounter. What we must do – from the very beginning and all the way to the end – is to accept that he knows what is best.
What would have happened years ago if you and I had been able to get what we wanted and gone our own way? For me, I know my life would have been completely different. My choices would have taken me away from God rather than toward him. As I look back through the years, I can see what he has done. I even understand a tiny portion of his decisions.
Without question, our heavenly father does know best: the best for his kingdom and the best for each one of our lives here on earth.
For better or worse (Monday, August 9)
Change happens in an instant. We can be fine one moment and in pain the next. On the other hand, we can be suffering and all of a sudden we are well. We always turn to God when things go from good to bad, but we seldom look to him when life takes a turn for the better.
When we encounter difficulty, we look to God and wonder why. Why did I lose my job? Why did I get sick? Why wasn’t I chosen? Why did this happen now? We always think there is an explanation God can give us for our predicament. Chances are we would not understand even if he explained what was going on.
Do we ask the same kinds of questions when God blesses us? Why do I have this home when others are homeless? Why have you given me good health while others, especially little children, are sick and dying? Why have I prospered when others are poor? Why have you educated me while others are not. Time and time again, God has given us wonderful gifts and opportunities. More often than not, we have probably taken them for granted.
You and I have much for which to be grateful, despite the everyday tribulations of life. We cannot afford to be distracted by negative thoughts or feelings if we are truly the representation of Jesus Christ on earth. We must live as he did: with perseverance and persistence, giving thanks in all things (good or bad).
Forgiving the past (Sunday, August 8)
We need to learn how to forgive one another, but we also need to ask God to forgive us as well. Without the Lord’s forgiveness, there is little we can do to put the past where it belongs: behind us.
If there is any anger or doubt about things that happened years ago, then we have not given it completely to the Lord. Our emotions will always find us out and reveal how we feel. On a recent trip back home, I stopped to wonder about all of the time I spent there and other places in my life. What if I went back to the same churches and Christian colleges where I once worked? Have people forgiven me for how I acted at times? More important, have I forgiven them and have I asked God to forgive me?
I confess that whenever I visit a place where I have lived in the past, I am always looking over my shoulder to see if there is someone I know. The reason, perhaps, is not to greet the person. Rather, it is to run the other way to avoid an awkward encounter. It is clear to me that I have not buried the past in God and in my own mind.
We cannot live forever living in the past. Sooner or later we will be swept away by a tide of regret so huge that we cannot move forward. If we have any misgivings about what is behind us, let us stop today and ask God to forgive us once and for all. Let us also ask him to keep us from going back to those regrets ever again. He can and will erase the past both in his mind and ours. He forgives and forgets. That is what forrgiveness is all about.
Trust without sight (Saturday, August 7)
Blind faith is being able to move forward without being able to see. Trusting in God, no matter how situations appear, requires a faith that goes beyond sight or circumstance.
Moses walked in blind faith when he led the Hebrews out of Egypt. Joshua stepped out in blind faith when he fought the battle of Jericho. David came forward in blind faith when he challenged the giant Goliath. Joseph lived by blind faith for 14 years in a dark prison. Paul journeyed in blind faith to spread the Good News to the world.
All of these individuals believed in what they could not see at the moment. They dwelled in what they knew about the future. They trusted that God would be there with them and that he would triumph.
Faith can only be faith when there is spiritual knowledge of the power of God. It has nothing to do with physical reality, but everything to do with absolute reality – the constant presence and protection of God the father.
Follow the leader (Friday, August 6)
God goes before us. He leads the way and clears a path. All we need to do is to follow him. Remember the game of follow the leader? The followers have to do everything exactly as the leader does or they are out.
Life is no game. God says to us, here is my son. Follow him. Be like him. Live like him. Many times we eliminate ourselves because we are not copying our king and savior. We do not pray as we should. We do not feed the hungry as we should. We do not take care of the homeless as we should. We do not give of our time and money as we should.
We need to be more like children. First, we have to imitate Christ like young ones mimic their parents. Second, we have to be better followers by learning to listen and watch more carefully. We cannot afford to take our attention off of Jesus. Not for even one second.
How successful we are in life depends on how well we can follow our leader.
Unconditional and amazing love (Thursday, August 5)
God’s love for us and through us allows us to face each day with faith and hope. No matter what we are facing, we know that his divine love is there to heal, comfort and guide. As he loves us, we can love others. As we love them, they are able to see God through us. The love that comes down from the Father is unlike anything we commonly call love. His love transcends both our capacity and our capability. But he is able to use us to show the world a higher way.
When we sacrifice our needs and our desires for another person, even someone we do not know, we display the love of God. When we give up our time and money to help the helpless and homeless, we demonstrate the love of God. When we forfeit our earthly possessions to serve the church, we reveal the love of God. When we surrender our lives for what is unseen in the future, we prove the love of God.
What we do because of love makes no sense to those around us. Yet, others see and understand. They realize they are looking at something that far exceeds anything here on earth. Through us, as imperfect and insufficient as we are, God shows the world his perfect love. That is the true miracle of what his love is all about.
He is our source (Wednesday, August 4)
Whatever we ask in the name and purpose of the Lord, he will grant. If we lack wisdom, he will teach us. If we lack patience, he will show us. If we lack peace, he will comfort us. If we lack strength, he will fill us. If we lack direction, he will guide us. God will hold back nothing to make us complete and whole.
For our part, we must be willing to accept as he gives. He does not give as the world gives. His gifts are different. He instructs us lovingly and gently until we understand. He will stay with us, even when we fail. Gradually, in his time, we will receive whatever we need as long as we do not give up on ourselves.
We must remember that the virtues we seek are spiritual and eternal. They are much more than earthly things. We do not receive them, all at once, as something we can buy or are given by a friend. No, these are imparted to us as we understand their worth and value. Recognizing what we need and why can be the most important instruction of all.
Through the long process of learning to accept divine wisdom, patience, peace, strength and direction, God is pulling us closer to him. He is bringing us to the place where we know, beyond any doubt, that he is the source of whatever we need. We cannot find it in ourselves, no matter how hard or long we search. He is truly the beginning and the end. In the words of St. Augustine, our souls (and our very lives) are restless until they find rest in him.
Gaining wisdom (Tuesday, August 3)
The right kind of fear can lead us to live a better life. Now fear in the world is not good, but fear of the Lord is actually beneficial to our development. It can keep us on track and following God.
Too often, when faced with a decision, large or small, we do not fear making the wrong choice. We think and believe that God will always forgive us, no matter what. Indeed, he will. But there are consequences to whatever we do or do not do. God wants to spare us from ourselves, from our tendency to make mistakes and go the wrong way. Seldom do we see the effects of our choices because we fail to see beyond the immediate moment. He wants to help us avoid pain, disappointment or rejection.
There is little he can do, though, if we make choices without him. A healthy fear of God – how we will let him down or embarrass him – should motivate us to do the right thing in every circumstance. We should want to please him at all times and be afraid of disappointing him.
Proper fear of the Father is essentially the beginning of wisdom. Our fear can really move us forward, closer toward him.
He knows the way (Monday, August 2)
When God makes a way, we may not always move forward with confidence and assurance. We tend to doubt what will happen next, even though we know God will protect us.
God showed the Israelites which way to go when he brought them out of bondage. Still, at times, they thought they were going to die in the desert. When they were being pursued by Pharaoh’s army, God again showed them which way to go. He parted the Red Sea and held back the waters. As they crossed, they must have wondered if they were going to drown. When God at last showed them the Promised Land, they were afraid to go in.
We are no different than the Israelites. Even when God leads us in the right direction – both by closing the door behind us and freeing us to move forward – we are full of doubt, fear and confusion. Sometimes we feel lost because we do not know what is out there or what we will face in the days and weeks ahead. We want to know the outcome, the future, even before we go through the desert, through the Red Sea or into the Promised Land.
God says “Trust me, and I will take care of you.” But we do not hear him because we keep asking, over and over again, “Where are we going and what are you doing to us?” Our faith should be built on trust in God’s way. He knows the future and what is best for us. We do not.
God's quiet voice (Sunday, August 1)
Society thrives on noise. Cell phones, car horns, televisions, radios, announcements in airports and train stations – all of these sounds assault us constantly. They compete for our attention. All the while, God is waiting quietly. He is there in the silence waiting for us to find time for him. When we are willing to turn off the world, he is ready to give us a peace that we cannot find anywhere else.
As we pray, read our Bible and meditate on his word, we begin to realize that there is power in silence. It is there, in our solitude and communion with God, where we begin to comprehend that there is something much greater than the things we see around us each day. We give ourselves the chance to discover the mysteries of God’s universe.
From out of what seems like nothing, comes everything. Our life, our purpose, our very spirit depend on what we cannot hear with our ears. We must listen with our hearts. God speaks to us through the power and authority of his unspoken word, not through the noises we are used to hearing.
God is always there. But the only way we can hear him is to get away from the sounds and distractions of daily life. Then and only then will we recognize the great beauty and magnificence of his voice.
Made in heaven (Saturday, July 31)
We can easily forget who we are. Each day we need to tell ourselves that we are children of God – and the heirs of his kingdom – not of the world.
Too often we allow the words and thoughts of other people to shape us and mold us. We have a tendency to see ourselves through their eyes rather than the eyes of God. People look at our weaknesses, but God looks at our strengths. People dwell on our mistakes, but God dwells on our accomplishments. People judge our motives, but God judges our heart. People remember our past, but God forgets and forgives.
We are much more than what people perceive. Even those closest to us rarely think of us in the same way as God. He goes beyond our appearance, our actions, our situation and our circumstances. He sees the pure and holy being he created.
Whenever we are tempted to think any less of ourselves, we need to turn our attention to God and remind ourselves that we are made in his image. We are made in heaven.
Fellowship (Friday, July 30)
We love spending time with those whom we know. We want to hear how they are doing and what is going on in their lives, especially if we have not talked with them in a while. How much time we spend with God matters to him. He wants to have a deeper relationship with us and he wants us to know him better.
I recently had a chance to chat with someone I knew only by name. In an hour, I learned all about his family, his work, his goals and aspirations for the future, and his deep faith in God. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing.
Imagine how our Lord must feel when we take time out of our busy lives to be with him. He knows that we love and appreciate him, but he is like us: he wants to hear us tell him with our own voices. He wants to hear our hearts speak.
The more time we spend with him, the more we will get to know about him. We also will learn to have greater trust in him because we realize everything he has done as both our creator and our king.
Lost and found (Thursday, July 29)
The older son was always with his father. He was there day after day, with the father by his side, helping with all of the chores and errands on the farm. Yet, he forgot the most important aspect of his life when the younger brother, the prodigal, returned home. All of the attention suddenly shifted to the wayward boy and the older son felt ignored. After all, there was no party given in his honor.
The whole point of this parable is rejoicing over the one who was lost. But the older brother is thinking more about himself. We sometimes act the same way when others around us are celebrated and welcomed back into the fold. What about us, we think. We have been here the entire time. We didn’t go anywhere. We have been faithful servants and dutiful workers. We have devoted all of our time and energy to this church and this community.
Because of our narrow perspective, you and I are missing the point. We have been in the same place, with the father, all of the time. We have had the blessing of being at the Lord’s side each and every minute.
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we need to rejoice both over the honor we have enjoyed all these years and also that someone who was lost is now home again.
A warranty (Wednesday, July 28)
God guarantees everlasting life. All we need to do is accept it and ask that we be forgiven. There is no need to worry or wonder about our salvation.
Most everything we buy today comes with a one-year warranty. If we want longer protection, we need to pay more. We have the option of choosing warranties for two, three and four years on stereos, stoves, refrigerators, microwaves and computers. Sooner or later, though, the guarantee will expire and the product will have to be replaced. Then we start the process all over again.
With God, we never have to be concerned. Once we decide to follow him, our salvation is assured forever. We can never lose it even if we make mistakes or make the wrong choices as we go through life. His promises to us do not expire – ever. We have his written word.
One of us (Tuesday, July 27)
Your life and mine will not go the same today. We will have different feelings, different thoughts, different tasks. Even how we act and react to situations will vary. God has made us separate individuals in every way except one: we are members of the same holy body.
We have many distinguishing features – from our appearance to our taste – but we worship and serve the same God. We do not even think alike, yet we can agree on all kinds of things because God guides both of us in his will and direction. His purpose can also bring us together when we disagree.
We are meant to live together, to encourage and support one another. “How good and pleasant it is when we live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). How wonderful that we were made to be unique and that our separate love for God makes us one. As followers of Christ, we are much like a community that pulls together to help a family find a lost child or a spouse who has lost a loved one in war.
Jesus taught us how to serve one another by serving God. We were not created to be alone. We are meant to be with each other in the joys and sorrows of life. The old adage is true, that there is strength in numbers. For us, as Christians, we build up the body of Christ when our personal and collective development depends entirely on him.
Take a second (Monday, July 26)
Most children put everything they have into everything they do. Whether they are riding skateboards, coloring or playing a game, they devote their entire thought and energy to it. They seldom think about being tired, being hungry and being hot or cold. In fact, they usually do not even think about time when they are involved in something they love.
We, as adults, can sometimes lose our zest and zeal for life. The routine of everyday living can wear us down to the point where we dread each little thing long before we have to do it. I have to admit that I sometimes wake up in the morning with dozens of errands coming at me like a stampede of chores. I have all of my regular tasks to perform, but I also may have a couple of meetings, a doctor’s appointment, a stop at the store and the gas station, and to fix something in the house that has broken. Before I finish my first cup of coffee, I am tired and ready to go back to bed.
We would be much better off if we faced each day with anticipation, looking forward to the opportunities that are in front of us rather than the obstacles that are trying to trip us up from behind. You and I should focus on what God will do this day as opposed to what we have to do. The problem with us is we spend too much time dwelling on ourselves, and how all of these things will impact us. Instead, we need to become caught up in what the Lord has given us to do.
May we become so lost in cleaning the house, helping a neighbor, shopping at the store that we forget all about time or how we feel. After all, the minutes and hours we have this day are given to us by God. Let’s enjoy living for once and appreciate this precious gift.
Lighthouses (Sunday, July 25)
We are beacons of light in a dark world. Standing where we are, our purpose is to shine for the Lord. We are both a warning and a comfort to others.
Along every coast on each continent there are lighthouses. Some are manned and some are automated. Regardless, the light they emit is a warning to sailors that there are dangers ahead. The light can also be a relief, that land is near despite stormy and dangerous seas.
The light of Christ needs to shine in and through us for many of the same reasons. We show the way home and also warn of upcoming trouble. We will not always see the people who are helped because of us. Regardless, we should have confidence that God is using us as a ray of hope.
If our light goes out, we will have no use at all and others will suffer. There will be no beacon for them to follow. They will be lost in the night unsure of which way to go or even what lies ahead. Let us make sure that others can see us through the darkness so they can reach safety. They are depending on us and so is God.
Water into wine (Saturday, July 24)
Jesus performed his first miracle during the wedding at Cana. Most everyone, Christian or not, knows the account. Jesus’ mother went to him when she heard there was no more wine. Then Mary turned to the servants and instructed them to do whatever Jesus said. He responded to his mother’s call for help, even though his time had not yet come to reveal his power to the world. Once the servants filled the six jars with water, Jesus turned it into wine. A simple story, but with many hidden meanings.
One of the curious elements occurs after the miracle. Jesus told the servants to take a taste of the wine to the master of the banquet. The man congratulated the bridegroom for saving the best wine for last. John tells us that master of the banquet “did not realize where it [the wine] had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.” The master’s only concern was about the quality of the wine. The servants, on the other hand, had witnessed something incredible.
It is easy to act like the master of the banquet – to take the wine for granted and be happy. Think about the servants who knew what had really happened. Jesus took plain, ordinary water and transformed it into exceptional wine made from grapes. The servants could appreciate the wine all the more because they realized where the wine had come from.
We rush through life without knowing the full story. We are pleased and happy that nothing has really gone wrong in our day, but we rarely stop to realize all God has done to keep us safe from harm on the highway, at work, at the store or even on vacation. Quietly and unnoticed, he is performing miracles that we never see. He does it because he loves us, just as Jesus helped his mother.
A birthplace (Friday, July 23)
Nazareth or Bethlehem? Biblical scholars and learned archeologists continue to debate where Jesus was born. Many hold with the traditional accounts found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke: that Bethlehem is the birthplace. Others point to the gospel of Mark, which states that Jesus “came from Nazareth.” He was born there, so the argument goes, and later the family traveled to Bethlehem for the census and then to Egypt so Jesus would not be killed by Herod’s soldiers.
I wonder how much money, time and energy has been spent through the centuries trying to solve the matter. In the end, does it really matter at all? For the sake of historical accuracy, I suppose it does. But from a spiritual standpoint, is there any difference in what people know and believe about Jesus? Would someone’s faith hinge on this issue? And could a person be a better follower if Jesus was born in Nazareth rather than Bethlehem?
Personally, I prefer Bethlehem, no doubt because I am familiar with the scriptures and songs that refer to this town. There is a quaint loveliness in my mind when I think of the manger, animals, shepherds, angels and the star in the east. I have no concept of Nazareth. All I know of the place is what is found in the book of John, when Nathanael exclaims, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
Without question, Nazareth is where Jesus grew up. Where he was born, however, seems almost insignificant when we consider what Jesus did later in his life. As we follow his teachings in our lives right now, may we remain centered on what is important: that Jesus lived and died for us. That is all we really need to know for certain.
His radiance (Thursday, July 22)
Bright as light. Jesus is the one true and eternal light. He illuminates the way and enlightens the soul. He shines and the darkness disappears. There is nothing that can compare to Jesus. “In him,” according to scripture, “is life, and that life is the light of everyone.”
Many people thought that John the Baptist was the one sent to save mankind. They asked if he was Elijah, the Christ, the Prophet. “I am the voice of one calling in the desert,” he answered. The gospel makes it clear that John was only a witness to the light who was coming. John was merely a messenger. His proclamation to the world? Prepare the road (the way) for the Lord.
We, too, are God’s messengers. We are not the Word or the light, though some of those around us might think that they are. We are witnesses and couriers. Our purpose is to prepare the way so the Lord can come into the world and dwell among his people. Our duty is to testify that Jesus is the light of all life.
Our voice is like “one calling in the desert.” We can baptize in his name, but we cannot save anyone because we are not the Savior. Nor are we Elijah, the Christ or the Prophet. On our own, we are not even worthy or holy enough to untie the sandals of Jesus. We are more than able to do one thing, though. We can declare what we know so people will recognize the light when they see it.
A complete makeover (Wednesday, July 21)
We will never be whole until we let God restore us completely. He can patch us here and there, but his real desire is to transform us everywhere. To him, the process is continuous from day to day. There are no breaks or interruptions. For us, however, our nature is to patch up the wounded places and carry on.
Though it might sound silly, we treat ourselves no better than a road or street. After a long winter, there are potholes everywhere. Maintenance crews work day and night filling in the ruts, but with little success. In a matter of weeks, the openings are even larger. All the while, everyone knows the problems will not go away until the entire surface is redone.
The same is true of us. We will not be entirely useful as servants until we are remade – until we are restored to our original condition. How far can we expect to go in life by patching the same wounds over and over? Sooner or later, we will come apart again. Eventually, we will break down and we might even have larger hurts than before.
"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back,” Jesus said, “is fit for service in the kingdom of God." We will waste all of our time if we keep patching up the past. God wants to restore and renew us completely every time a part of us falls to pieces. It is just as easy for him to mend our entire life as it is to patch a wound. Perhaps the reason why he doesn’t is because we are only concerned with what hurts at the moment. We aren’t even thinking about a complete makeover.
Children of the Most High (Tuesday, July 20)
God sees us as his children. We will always remain the little person that he created out of his own thought and breath. It is important we understand that relationship as well as the perspective he has of us. To recognize how he looks at us is to realize his love for us.
For example, I appear as an innocent child before my Father. He looks at me in much the same way as I look at my children. Both of them are grown, and have children of their own, but still I see them as they were when they were young. They are different now. They wear different clothes and drive cars. They have their own houses. Yet, I continue to cherish them like they are still five or six years old. Nothing can change how I feel about them.
More than 20 years have passed since those days and I continue to see them for who they really are. I saw them when they were being born and watched them grow. Their basic characteristics and traits remain after all this time.
God watched each one of us being born and he observed us as we grew. We may think we are all grown up occasionally, but he still considers us small and weak. He knows our frame and he is patient, kind, loving and tolerant just as we are with our children no matter their age. Thank goodness we are a child of the Most High. He sees us for the person he created and he will watch over us forever. We are little ones, his very own children, who bring him great joy. He is proud of each one of us.
Living with him (Monday, July 19)
The disciples had three years of living with Jesus. They were with him in the morning. They ate meals together. They prayed with him. They saw him as he taught. They watched him heal the lame. They were at his side in the evening and throughout the night. We can scarcely imagine what they must have felt and thought.
We have the same opportunity today. Jesus is with us each moment. Just because we do not see him does not mean he is not there. He said he would always be with us. No matter where we go or what we do, Jesus is present. In our rest, in our labor, in our trials, in our joys, Jesus is next to us. Our experiences are his experiences.
He knows how we feel in each and every situation because he has lived in the world. He knows disappointment, rejection, abandonment, hatred, misunderstanding, difficulty, pain, suffering, fatigue and discrimination. What we might be going through in our lives today is nothing new to him. He has felt it and he knows how much it hurts.
But there is something he can do about it. He can bear our burdens and give us peace in any tribulation. Jesus is able to comfort us in a supernatural way because he has overcome the world. May we turn to him whenever our life takes a turn for the worse. He understands and he is able to heal our wounds.
Time together (Sunday, July 18)
What a blessing it is to have relatives visit us. Our loved ones are always near in our hearts and minds, but it is nice to have them physically near. When travel plans are made, we prepare to welcome them; we also think about what special things we can all do together, including the meals we will serve.
This past weekend, we enjoyed a visit from my sister-in-law, our niece and her husband. They arrived on Friday and will be leaving this morning. The time has gone by extremely fast. In fact, there are not enough hours in the days to do everything we would like. Sadly, in a couple of more weeks, our niece and her husband will return to Seoul, South Korea, where they teach during the school year.
Even though they will be far away, we will still be thinking about them. As we do, we will remember this particular weekend: the conversations and the closeness we enjoyed, even as we watched television and ate together.
Let us be particularly thankful this day that God gives us the opportunity to spend time with the ones we love. He created us to be with one another – to love and support each other. It is exactly like the relationship we have with Jesus. He is always there for us and we should look forward to being there to serve and love him as well.
Enough trust (Saturday, July 17)
Saying that God is in control and accepting that he is are not the same. When something does not go as planned, the temptation is to get upset or angry. We try to fight for what we believe is right, at least according to our feelings and thinking, rather than letting God take care of the matter. Or we run away.
The term for our reaction to difficult circumstances is known as the ‘fight or flight’ instinct. Either we engage in all out war to get our way, or we run away and try to forget the situation all together. God does not want us to choose one path or the other. He wants us to put it in his hands – to remain where we are and allow him to make the decision.
I have to confess that I am my own worst enemy at times. I have never been one to simply walk away from a problem. Instead, my stubbornness takes hold of me and I battle to get my way, no matter what I have to say or do. Perhaps you are the opposite: you might flee an encounter, hoping it will somehow disappear and go away.
God wants both of us to stop and let him handle things his way. As lord of our life, he is ruler. What he says goes, whether we agree or not. We do not need to get mad or run off. We must learn to give God the time and authority to work. His way is the so-called Law of 828: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
If we love him, we should be able to trust him.
Life is about life (Friday, July 16)
One of the hardest things in life is dealing with problems. They seem to be everywhere: problems with cars, computers, appliances, home repairs, etc. The list of difficulties is long and endless. Each day brings another challenge – something else to overcome.
The major obstacle in every situation is how we react. We can become tired and worn out having to deal with the same troubles over and over again. At times, we may become so distracted by these little irritations that we forget about the true meaning of life. In short, life is about life. It is not about trying to make sure is running perfectly. That will never happen because we live in an imperfect world.
Machines break down, houses require repair, yards need maintenance and appliances break. We need to take care of these things as we can and move on. People are what matter most of all. There are individuals, maybe in our own family and church community, who have real problems: heart disease, cancer, failing eyesight and hearing, an upcoming operation.
Jesus ministered to people and what they needed for eternal salvation. He dealt with the soul. We need to do the same. We have to devote more time to serving those around us than dealing with objects that need to be fixed. Let’s not spend our days trying to make our lives perfect. Better to invest our lives in someone than in something.
Really serving (Thursday, July 15)
Our life and work for the Lord is down here in the world. It is all around us in the streets and alleys and roads that run through our neighborhoods. We are called to serve where we are, not always where we want to be.
High on a mountain, where Jesus was transfigured, Peter wanted to build three shelters: one for the Master, one for Elijah and one for Moses. Perhaps Peter thought he, along with James and John, were going to stay a while. Suddenly, a voice came down from the heavens and the three disciples fell to the ground. Jesus went over and touched them. Get up, he said, and don’t be afraid. When they arose, they realized that Moses and Elijah were gone.
As they walked down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to say anything to anyone until the Son of Man had been raised from the dead.
Part of the message here may be that we cannot live in the clouds. We were not created to live on the mountain, constantly dwelling on the high things of heaven. We must get down to business and do what we are asked to do in the valleys and lowlands of life. We need to help people who are poor, homeless, lonely, bereaved and in pain. They are all around us. We will not find them on the mountain top. God wants to reach out to them in their trials and he uses us, his servants, to touch them.
Representing Jesus (Wednesday, July 14)
We are ambassadors of Christ. We are a symbol of Jesus to the world and we help those who are fellow followers. Our position is much like that of an earthly ambassador: one who represents a nation in a foreign land and who also assists those from his own country that visit or reside there.
Ambassadors have a certain job to do and they are on duty 24 hours a day. They serve anytime, anywhere and whenever they are needed. An emergency or need may come in the middle of the night, on a holiday or on a weekend. An ambassador always answers the call, eager and willing to serve.
As ambassadors of the Most High, we need to be ready and prepared at all times. We never know what we will have to do from day to day, but our position is to serve the kingdom in any way that we can whether we talk with one person or an entire country. People are watching and listening. The impression we make on them will reveal what it is like to be a citizen of our true home.
Jesus is depending on us to represent him to others. He appointed us and anointed us for this important work. He trusts us to fulfill our commitment to him and to the kingdom we serve.
Judgment (Tuesday, July 13)
Many people watched Jesus as he went from town to town. They observed his every move closely. The religious leaders even kept a close eye on his disciples.
But these watchers were looking for the wrong things. They did not delight in the healings, marvel at the teachings or find comfort in the forgiving. Rather than being grateful and amazed at what Jesus was able to do, they became angry and upset. They found pleasure in condemning him for healing on the Sabbath, for pardoning sins, for feeding the poor, for giving hope to the hopeless and for eating with outcasts. They saw what they wanted to see in him. They saw what they did not like and judged him.
We are not so different today, are we? We look at certain individuals or particular races and we decide what we want. Our verdict in many cases has little to do with the good, and everything to do with the bad. You and I focus on what we think others are doing wrong rather than on what they are doing right.
The next time we jump to conclusions about someone, may we hear these 12 words of Jesus ringing loudly in our ears: “Let he who is without sin among you cast the first stone.” Simply drop that rock on the ground and walk away. The person you want to condemn is no worse than you.
Our Father (Monday, July 12)
My prayer today is to accept your will. Father, I need your peace. I trust you Lord, though I don’t understand. I believe you, yet I am confused. I have faith in you God, despite my fears.
When I pause to consider how great you are, I wonder why I sometimes doubt at all. After all, you are the Creator of the universe, the Creator of all life and the Creator of me. Why is it that I so often lose my hope even when I know you are all these things?
You are in control of each and every situation. No matter what occurs, you will not leave me or abandon me. You do not make me an orphan. You remain faithful, like a loving Father who protects and cares for his children. You are ever-lasting all the days of my life.
Even now, if I have any reason or cause to question you, I ask your help. Forgive my weakness. Grant me your might and courage. On my own, I would surely give up. But with you, I can endure. Even more, I will overcome any difficulty because of you!
Let him help (Sunday, July 11)
May God breathe new freshness into our tired, old lives this day. As you worship him and give thanks, let him fill you with his spirit, his compassion and his love. No matter how you are feeling, God can take away the pain, the doubt, the weariness and the fatigue. He is able to transform us in an instant.
But, we must let him and we must do as he says. We cannot ask for his help and then ignore his wisdom. We must come to him with open and willing hearts, ready to follow what he says is best for us. We cannot be like a patient who goes to the doctor to get better and then ignores the medication as well as the treatment. What has this person accomplished, but to become more miserable?
We can trust what God tells us to do. He knows the effect of our every action and word before we act. He knows what can make us better and what will make us worse. Left to our own devices, we usually make the wrong choice – the decision that will take us farther away from where we need to be.
This morning, as we lift our lives and problems to him, let us be ready to follow him without hesitation. May we believe, with all of our being, that his way is the best way. Never mind what we think. Doing what he says is the only way he can help us.
Over all (Saturday, July 10)
Remember that God is Lord of the universe, not merely Lord of our lives. He does not think and act as we do. Thousands of years ago, God proclaimed a fundamental principle to Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways."
We know this, but still we persist in thinking of God like he is one of us. We reduce him and bring him down to size. Lord, we say, I need better health. Father, please give me more money. God, we are going to lose our house if you don’t do something. All the while, we have the solution figured out. All God needs to do is what we tell him. With the touch of his hand, our problems will disappear.
He, however, is higher than our way of thinking. This realization may confound and frustrate us. At the same time, we should feel a sense of peace knowing that he is completely in control. We should be relieved that God will not handle a situation in a human way. He will act in a divine way, making anything possible, even things we cannot imagine at first.
Instead of feeling buried by life’s difficulties, we should rejoice and give praise that God is going to take care of us in his way. Thankfully, his thoughts and ways are not like ours. We glimpse only the temporary, but he can see all eternity. Often, we act like the beggar at the temple gate who asked Peter and John for a few coins. Peter healed him.
It is time for us to turn our problems over to the Lord. Let him decide what to do for a change.
He does all things (Friday, July 9)
Christianity is not for the faint-hearted. No, it is for those who are willing to battle and fight daily for what is right – for what is the truth. The key is that the Christian need not possess the strength of God, only the pure desire to be used by him. Our hearts must be firm on him and in him. Nothing else matters, including our human strength.
You and I are weak. On our own, we can accomplish almost nothing. Sure, we may be able to provide for ourselves and our families. But not even these things are possible without the blessing that God provides each moment as he cares for all of us.
"I can do all things,” Paul wrote to the Philippians, “through Christ who strengthens me.” What he is talking about is not some supernatural power that turns us into superwomen and supermen. We do not suddenly become Samson-like creatures capable of conquering anyone and anything. Just the opposite.
The way that Christ makes us stronger is by giving us patience, wisdom, faith and trust. He grants us the might to let him handle the situation and to do battle for us. When we rely on his ability, all we need to do is to keep from getting involved. He will fight for us, if we resist the temptation to fight for ourselves. May we let Christ strengthen us today so he can do all things through us.
One hard lesson (Thursday, July 8)
God has a way of teaching us and humbling us at the same time. No doubt he knows that we remember best when we are taught best.
I was working at a college in Ohio when I was told I would have to move out of my spacious office. I had been there for years and I had everything arranged. I even had a conference table with four chairs set neatly around the circle. On the window sills of this corner room, I had placed various mementos that students had given me. Even the book shelves and filing cabinets were exactly as I wanted them.
What upset me more than having to move was that the person who was getting the space was only an assistant professor. As a full professor, I felt entitled to a large office. Unhappily, I took my time relocating all of my books and files into the tiny closet-like room down the hall. Several months later, I still was bitter. I held a grudge against the junior faculty member and I hated to see her in my old office.
One day, God finally got through to me. He showed me that the size of the office was not the issue. The problem was my arrogance and pride. I had based my standing and stature on having a large office, and not on the significance of what I did in the classroom. That was much more important to God and to my students. It took me months to realize that size had absolutely nothing to do with my job as a teacher.
Each day we become caught up in things that do not count. We waste time brooding and worrying rather than moving out and moving on. If we listened to God only half as well as we listened to ourselves, we could accomplish twice as much in our lives.
Reality vs. faith (Wednesday, July 7)
Where does reality end and faith begin? When do we act on the facts right in front of us and ignore our trust in God for what we need? We should never abandon our confidence in God, but there is always the temptation to give up on him and give in to the world.
Time after time I have seen people make the mistake of putting greater stock in the world than in God. Suppose, for example, I decide that I can no longer meet my tithe at church because my finances are low. Am I not giving up much more than a simple amount of money? What about my faith in the Lord’s ability to prosper me in spite of my personal difficulties?
Too often we become too practical. We do not see a way out so we shut God out. We forget that he can do the impossible in the face of the improbable.
There is little he can do, though, if we ignore him. We need to have the faith to believe in him before he will help us. God can accomplish miraculous things for us but only if we follow him instead of what we think or know.
We are the church (Tuesday, July 6)
Every person in the body of Christ needs to realize why the church exists. It is more than a structure, a meeting place or a location for weekly worship. The church stands as a constant reminder that God is present in the world and in the community. He is alive in all of the members and, through them, he is reaching out to those in the neighborhood who are suffering and in need.
The church is a sanctuary from the world and yet it works to bring hope to the world. The people who walk in and out of its doors should find rest, help, hope and love. Their lives should be changed forever because of what they experience there.
In each community, the church is unique. The style of the building is only the first place where the difference begins. What really matters is this: whether the people who are the living church make a difference in the community. When the church functions as it should, God can continue to build up his living body and not just a building.
Time for what? (Monday, July 5)
We measure time in minutes. God measures time in meaning. How long it takes to do something is important to us, but not to God. He lives in eternity. A few hours, days or even decades have no value when viewed on an infinite scale. In heaven, time is neither a quantity nor an element.
Everything we do revolves around time: when we get up, when we go to work, when we have a meeting, when we go to the doctor, when we watch a television program, when we go to bed. We even plan weeks or months ahead when we think about a trip or vacation.
We often talk about running out of time. Yet, we have plenty of time to do what is important for God. He never puts us on a timetable, where we have only a certain amount of time to accomplish his work. Instead, he tells us what must be done, not when it has to be done. We are the ones who develop the schedule and go by the clock.
It would do us good sometimes to forget about time and just do what God has asked us to do. What we do for Him is far more important than the time it takes us to do it. Let us focus on our mission rather than on the minutes and make time for God.
Freedom (Sunday, July 4)
Being able to live in a free country is a blessing. So is having the freedom to serve God.
Free will is an amazing thing. How God created us, giving us the ability to choose, is hard to fathom. In his wisdom, though, he knows that the only way we can love and serve him is to want to do so. We cannot be made to obey him like slaves. The desire must come from our heart, out of a sincere and conscious commitment to him.
On this day of independence, let us celebrate our double freedom. Let us take time to think about what the word means and everything it allows us to do. We are free in many ways, but the most important of all is the free will we have been given by our creator.
Pleasing (Saturday, July 3)
We do not want to disappoint people, especially those whom we love. We try our best to please those at home, at work, at church and in our neighborhood. We will do all kinds of things to make others think well of us. Many times, we go far out of our way to help someone, even complete strangers.
But how often do we think about pleasing God? Is he on our mind? Are we thinking about him in everything we do? Probably not. Our first thought should be to make God happy – to please him, no matter what the world might think of us. We should realize by now that we cannot satisfy both God and man. You and I have to make a choice. Chances are we usually side with those around us rather than God because we know he will forgive us while people will not.
That is not the point. We should want to delight him so much that we do not care about the consequences of people rejecting us. Think about all of the saints who put him first, ahead of everything including their own lives.
Jesus came to earth not only to offer us salvation. He also came to serve as an example. As we go through this day, let us follow his way in pleasing the father despite the price. In the long run that is all that really matters.
What to expect (Friday, July 2)
Something great is going to happen today in your life and mine. We wonder what God is going to do. We do not know what it will be, but we can go through the hours with high expectancy and hope as we look forward to the event.
As we watch and wait, though, we have to be careful. Whenever we anticipate anything, we most often think about something we desire. Perhaps we are waiting to hear some good and welcome news. Maybe we hope we will win a drawing that we entered. It could be that we wish for someone to visit us or that we will find enough money to take a trip.
All of these things are well and good, but much different than what God might have planned. God may have us meet someone new and give us a chance to share our faith. He could bring us an opportunity to serve him in an unusual place. Maybe God will give us unexpected peace and calm even though we are restless and impatient. He might even bless us with a beautiful day in spite of how we are feeling, physically or emotionally.
God always knows our needs and he always provides. What we have to understand is that he gives us what lasts. The kinds of things we usually seek do not last; they are gone or used up in no time at all. Let us long for his timeless gifts, not the ones that will make us happy for only a moment.
A firm foundation (Thursday, July 1)
No two days in our lives are alike. Each one, like each individual person, is unique. Some days seem to go well, while others bring one problem after another. The difference is not in anything external. Instead, it all depends on what is going on inside of us: how we think, see and feel.
Much hinges on our emotions, conscious and unconscious. We can be filled with joy on a rainy day, but experiencing depression when the sun is shining. Sometimes it is harder for us to be content than others. Occasionally, we have to work on ourselves. We have to fight against the thoughts and situations that would keep us bound up.
God knows our fickle nature, and he makes himself available to us every day. He wants to help us turn our circumstances around, and to discover the secret of being happy. The answer is inside our own hearts, not in external things which are malleable and changing. The spirit of God is not affected by the world; his nature is unchanging no matter what happens.
A great deal of our happiness has to do with us – whether we are willing (and able) to live life his way or our way. He can give us joy even in the worst of times because he cannot be moved. His love, his power and his control are fixed. We need to fix our lives in him instead of on our shifting emotions. God gives us the opportunity to have control over our day rather than being controlled by it.
Love beyond measure (Wednesday, June 30)
Our worth is found in Jesus Christ. We are what he is. We are more precious and valuable to him than all of the wealth on earth. His spirit lives in us and guides us. Most of all, he gave his life to save us.
You and I really have no context of what it means to be loved by Jesus. We can speak about his fondness or concern for us, but we cannot grasp the full reality of being loved by an infinite and all-wonderful savior. He is beyond everything we know and far greater than anything we can even imagine.
Yet, we try to understand. Rather than accepting what is, we want to know why and how. In our quest, we attempt the impossible, the unexplainable. How can we ever comprehend a God who spoke the cosmos into creation or a God who sees and knows everything from the beginning clear into eternity? What constructs do we have to comprehend a God who exists but is nowhere visible?
We are grasping at straws if we try to describe God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Greater still is the difficulty of realizing how vast is his love for us. We are dust of the earth and he is the light of the universe. You and I are clods of clay that are filled with the breath of the creator. From his own life, the triune God made us come alive.
Each time we inhale and exhale, we can remember how it all began – with him. I do not understand this kind of his love. It is enough for me to know it exists.
Lonesome but not alone (Tuesday, June 29)
We are able to hide our hurts in him. We can go to God for consolation and comfort at anytime. No matter what has happened, we can take our deepest disappointments to him. He understands and he cares. He feels the same sorrow. We are his children and the thing that has hurt us has hurt him as well.
Even in our togetherness with the Father, the pain may not disappear completely. The sadness we feel is real. It is not something we imagine or fabricate. If we did not care so deeply in the first place – whether we failed to get a job we wanted or we learned that a loved one is in distress – we would not experience such intense torment. That is the very reason God weeps for us when we are in distress: he does not like to see us this way because he loves and cares for us.
He grieves with us and for us during times of trouble. The pain that we experience and the pain that he feels are one in the same. We mourn together because we are alike. What bothers us also bothers him. He created us in his image; he made us like himself with his emotions and feelings.
Whenever you are hurting, go to the one who understands. The God who gave birth to you. He knows you better than anyone on earth. Not only will he share your grief, but he will reassure you that everything will be okay. He is your Father and he is in control of each situation. Even when you feel lost and lonesome, you are never alone.
Living faith (Monday, June 28)
Throughout the world, there are churches that contain relics and artifacts from the past: a piece of the manger where Jesus was born; fragments of the cross; part of the crown of thorns; wood from Noah’s ark; the chains that once bound St. Peter; some of the sponge that contained the vinegar offered to the dying Jesus; a nail that held him to the cross; the shroud that covered his dead body. For centuries, these sacred items have been revered and venerated because of their significance. They are physical reminders of what we believe.
Our faith, though, needs to be built on the present. It must be a living faith that is alive and present each moment. The past is critical in terms of all that God has done, but just as important is what he continues to do in the world today. Our God is a living God. His power is the same at it has been since the beginning of the universe. He is at work now as he has been for thousands of years.
Too often we think about Christianity in terms of what is recorded in the old and new testaments. We trace the footsteps of the ancient prophets and we marvel at the incredible miracles of Jesus. What amazing things happened. So much more is going on right now all around us. Let us take time to see what God is doing in the lives of his followers today. He has not changed. Nor have his acts. May we base our faith on his power in the present and not just on what reminds us of the past.
Being victors (Sunday, June 27)
Sometimes our best just isn’t good enough. Watching the World Cup yesterday afternoon reminded me that there are times when we give our all, putting everything we have into something, and still come up short. Like the United States soccer team, we can lose even though we have done everything we know how to do to win.
No one likes to lose, and it does not matter whether it involves a game or a matter more serious like a promotion or being turned down for a loan. We take our losses personally, even though there may have been nothing else we could have done. We think losing in one area or on one occasion makes us losers in every respect.
We should never give up our value and dignity simply because we did not get what we wanted. What we lost is one thing. Our lives are another. The only thing that matters in life is our life. If we lose our soul then we have lost everything. But if we lose a soccer match, a baseball game or even a job, the defeat will not matter in the long run. Yes, the pain of a loss is intense and immediate. But so is the joy of victory. Who will still be suffering or celebrating in five or ten years?
The whole point is that we never lose with God. We do not have to worry about being overcome by any enemy. He keeps us safe and secure. In him, we remain children of the king in spite of the world’s difficulties; we are always victorious. Nothing can conquer us as long as we trust and believe the conqueror.
Halfway there (Saturday, June 26)
This is the 177th day of 2010. In just a matter of days, the year will be half over. Another way to look at it is that we still have half a year remaining. Somehow, though, it feels like the New Year’s Eve celebrations were just a few weeks ago and that the Christmas decorations have been packed away only a short time. Soon, we will be going through the holidays once again.
Today is a good time to pause and ponder. Perhaps there is something we vowed to do this year. Maybe we wanted to lose weight but never started on a diet. It could be that we were going to spend more time enjoying life. I wanted to get in better shape. Whatever it was we resolved to do, we still have time to follow through.
All we need to change is our attitude. The glass is not half empty. No, it is half full. There is really no point in fretting over what was. Worry and regret cannot alter the situation. We can, however, change the future. We can tell ourselves that we have the other half of the year to accomplish our goal.
As you look ahead, remember that the year is far from over. Also, remember how much Jesus talked about the future: how life on earth could be better and what awaits us in heaven. He was always looking forward and looking up. He always saw a greater life ahead than the one we leave behind. Live the other half of 2010, and don’t even think about the first half. Our lives in Christ depend on what we do ahead of us rather than on what we did (or didn’t do) behind us.
Discipline is not punishment (Friday, June 25)
We do not accept discipline without a fight, whether it is from another person, a situation or even God himself. It sometimes seems as though children are the worst at handling discipline. They want what they want when they want it. All kinds of things happen if they do not get their way. On numerous occasions, you have probably seen a little girl or boy having a tantrum at the store, acting up in a restaurant or even misbehaving at an amusement park. Usually, the parents are trying to change the child’s behavior by threatening some kind of punishment. Most of the time, without success.
From an early age, we are brought up with the idea that discipline involves punishment or pain. Our parents reprimanded or penalized us when we did not listen or did something we were not supposed to do. As adults, we might think that God acts in exactly the same way toward us – that he makes us suffer when we disobey. There may be some hurt involved in the process, but God does not inflict it. We ache because we have done something wrong, not God.
He is merely trying to get us back on the right path. Never will he stand over us and bully us into changing by counting to three. All he wants to do is to help us learn his law. Think about a verse from Psalm 94:12: “Blessed is the person you discipline, O LORD, the person you teach from your law.” There is no mention of harm.
Perhaps we have had it wrong all these years. Reproving us is much different than hurting us. He may rebuke and scold us, but making us undergo physical and mental anguish – like spanking a child – is not his intent. God’s only purpose is for us to follow his commandments. He knows that when we do, we will find our lives to be much easier. His discipline is not punishment. We only see it as such because we don’t get our way.
Signs, wonders and powers (Thursday, June 24)
God’s miracles occur every day. They happen everywhere, but often go unseen and unnoticed. The world does not recognize these unexplained occurrences because most seem small and insignificant. Many are taken for granted without any awareness whatsoever.
Miracles, however, appear in all places, ways and situations. While the common example of a miraculous act may be Moses parting the Red Sea or Lazarus being raised from the dead, the size or magnitude does not define a miracle. A miracle of God has no limits or limitations.
In ancient Greek, three words comprise the Latin word miraculum or miracle: semeion (sign), teras (wonder) and dynamis (power). We reach a better understanding of a miracle when we consider all three together: signs, wonders and powers. God works in a number of ways and in a number of forms; he is capable of healing, saving, protecting, guiding, etc. A leper cured of disease, a woman saved from stoning and an apostle released from jail are all miracles recorded in the New Testament.
We should not have to see angels or hear voices thundering down from the heavens to comprehend a miracle. Being alive this day, having food and shelter, owning a car and possessing a closet full of clothes; are these also not miracles? After all, they are supernatural and unexplained gifts from above. In all of these things, God most certainly shows everything he is capable of doing in our lives. His signs, wonders and powers are all around us today. May he give us the discernment to see and appreciate each one of them.
What is our excuse? (Wednesday, June 23)
Doing our best in spite of the worst that we see all around us is not easy. We can succeed only if we use Jesus as our model. We must measure ourselves by how far we fall short of him and not by how far ahead we are of others who may have failed miserably. A teenager typically compares himself to the latter. The excuse may sound something like this: “At least I am not as bad as that person down the street. I don’t drink or do drugs. So what if I am not doing well in school. I have bad teachers.”
Though we are adults, our excuses can be very similar. We have all kinds of reasons for what we do or don’t do. “I know I should tithe more, but I count my time as well.” “I would like to attend church more often, but I am busy.” “Sunday is the only day I can really rest.” “At least I do more than the people who come only on Christmas and Easter.” “Sunday School is really for kids anyway.” “I don’t care for the pastor.” “I don’t like the hymns.” “I hate to attend meetings.” These are just the beginning of countless excuses.
I know that God forgives us, but I doubt whether he accepts our excuses. These days we use excuses like we are in a court of law – as if it is a defense or justification for wrongs we have committed. Most of all, he does not get into the argument of us being better than another person. That will not earn any of his favor or sympathy. I believe that the only time when God receives our excuses is when we are sorry for not doing what we should have done in the first place.
Each day, God says to us “Here is my son. Be like him.” He set Jesus before us to be our example. He is all we need. What excuse can we possibly have, then, to compare ourselves to anyone else?
Forget it (Tuesday, June 22)
Many folks today are fond of one phrase: What goes around comes around. Each time I hear someone say this, I wonder what the person is thinking. Is it being said as a statement or declaration of fact? Perhaps the words ring with a fateful note of revenge. Or maybe it implies that, in the end, God will be the final judge.
Unfortunately, many people (even well-minded believers) use the adage to make a point. They want others to know that they will be punished for their words or actions. They will be paid back somehow. Life will even the score and others will get what they deserve. The bottom line is that we will be avenged when someone else suffers just as we did.
Part of our human nature is the propensity to get even – to repay evil with evil. But Jesus taught us always to return evil with good. We are to turn the other cheek and pray for our enemies. We are quick to argue, though, that no one understands how much we have been hurt. You don’t know what that person did to me; I will never forget it as long as I live.
But before we go too far with that line of thinking, we need to ponder what would happen to us if Jesus took the same approach. For sure, we would never receive salvation because we would never be forgiven for anything. Our sins would follow us into the grave and beyond. We should never wish that upon anyone. No matter how much pain we have endured, may we never tell anyone what goes around comes around. If we do, we might be foretelling our own fate as well.
Up or down (Monday, June 21)
The problem for most of us is that we want to be stronger in our faith, but none of us want to be tested or tried. We want to be more trusting without doing anything to increase our belief in God. What we are seeking can happen only through hardship. The more we encounter, and overcome through the Lord, the stronger our faith will become.
An athlete does not become better merely by desire. The process involves hard work and an occasional injury. A scholar does not become wiser without years of study and research. Nor does a person become a writer by wanting to publish a novel one day.
There is always a vast difference between what we want and what we are willing to do to achieve our goal. We know that nothing will happen in our lives unless we push ourselves beyond ourselves. We have to be more committed to what we are doing than how we are feeling. Time after time, the great examples of our faith were tested. Peter, Paul, Stephen and others experienced adversity; they became strong through suffering. In their personal weakness they learned that they could depend on God.
We can do all things through him who strengthens us. Today we will have many obstacles to overcome; the greatest may well be ourselves and our will. May we remember, in each trial, that God is building us up. He is not beating us down.
Our Father (Sunday, June 20)
God wants you to know that you are special to him. That he loves you unconditionally and no matter what you have done. He has given his life to save you. You are precious and dear, and he has chosen you to be in him forever.
You and I sometimes forget what it means to be his child. We think so much about ourselves that we do not remember him and all he has done for us. He gave us life. He gave us his son. He gave us his spirit to guide and direct us.
Now he gives us this day to enjoy and appreciate. He wants us to take the time to look at all of the beauty in nature, in the world and in other people. Everywhere we look we can see the magnificence of our Father in heaven. His signs and wonders are all around us here on earth.
May we be mindful of his presence each moment. He has been with us in the past. He will be with us in the future. And he is with us now. He loves us too much to ever leave us alone. He is our constant companion and he delights in simply being with us.
He's the answer (Saturday, June 19)
Life is not fair, but God is. People are not just, but God is. Situations are not right, but God is. In every circumstance, God is where we need to look for answers. He can give us comfort and peace when we do not understand what is happening.
Who can explain why people mistreat us? Who can make sense out of going through one medical problem after another? Who can help us understand why bad things happen to good people or why good things happen to bad people? No one on earth has the true answer. Only God knows.
If we can put our thoughts aside for even a short time, and turn our attention to God, we will suddenly see that we do not have to make sense out of every misfortune and problem. As we trust him, we will begin to realize that nothing else really matters. The more we believe that his way is the good and perfect way, the less we will be mislead by the “whys” of life. And even if we knew why certain trials occur, it would make no difference. We could not change anything anyway.
Today let us put our entire being and all of our energy in relying on his wisdom. May we place our dependence on him instead of our own doubts.
Living for the kingdom (Friday, June 18)
Little things, done with an open and joyous heart, mean more to God than great acts or vast sums of money. The widow who offered two mites at the temple gave everything she owned, while others put in only a portion of their wealth. Many probably donated 10 times as much as this poor woman, but Jesus was not impressed. She presented more, Jesus said, than all of the others combined.
The meaning and purpose of life is found in the seemingly insignificant. A note of encouragement, a phone call, a card or an e-mail take only minutes, but can last days or weeks to someone who is sick or lonely. Even returning a neighbor’s garbage cans to the back of the garage or putting the newspaper by the front door can mean a great deal.
Not only do these small things help those around us, they also show others what it means to be a follower of Christ. Our one little act can be a life-changing experience for another person. A few words, spoken in the right way, may open the door of salvation to a non-believer.
Just as Jesus noticed the old widow, he will see what we do in his name. When we quietly bring glory and honor to him, he is pleased. Our little works in the world become great in the kingdom.
God of today and tomorrow (Thursday, June 17)
He makes our paths straight. He promises to comfort and guide us. He says he will never, ever forsake us. How different our lives could be if we accepted these assurances as truth. Ironically, we believe in eternal life, that God will take care of us later on. Yet, we occasionally doubt his love and protection right now.
At this moment, no matter where we are or what we are doing, God is with you and me. He surrounds us and envelops us with his love. He is caring for us in a way that no human can. If we do not feel his presence, perhaps we have not taken time to be quiet. We will not find him in the confusion of a busy day. Nor will we realize him in our anger or frustration. And we most certainly will not sense him if we are completely centered on ourselves and our problems.
We have to put everything else aside. We must place our anxieties and worries in his hand. Once we give up our concerns and give in to him, we will begin to experience the calm he offers – his peace of mind.
God speaks to us when we spend time with him alone. Gently, he takes us to his side and tells us that everything will be fine; he will see to it. He knows what lies ahead. He will give us the strength we need each day; we do not have to wait until eternity. We can experience his blessings this minute. Be still, he says, and know that I am God now and forever.
Using His will (Wednesday, June 16)
One particular morning, as I awoke and realized I had an illness, I was forced to face myself. I had to decide who I was and whether I could attend to everything on my schedule. I suddenly realized that I am, at times, two different persons. Sometimes I am myself and other times I allow myself to be who I am in Christ.
In Christ, I am far greater than when I am in myself. I possess neither the energy nor the will to work through pain, disease and disappointment. I easily give up and lose hope. But, in Christ, I am able to push through the difficulty because I rely on his power.
Through him I am more than able. In myself, I am less than capable. All of the great followers of the faith have experienced the supernatural might of Christ. Even we, as feeble and weak as we feel at times, have seen God accomplish incredible feats through us. The time when tragedy struck us, we walked through it because of God’s strength. When suffering came without warning, so did God’s grace. As we were betrayed by those who seemed to care for us, God loved us. Where we had no place to turn, God offered us shelter and protection.
In his name and by his authority, we are more than conquerors over anything and everything that we face each day: sickness, depression, rejection and oppression. We can gain the will overcome all things because that is his will, not ours. In him we have our being, and being in him we have his authority.
Doing rather than thinking (Tuesday, June 15)
It is easy for us to lose our enthusiasm. The daily routine of life can leave us feeling physically and mentally tired. Each morning we face schedules that seem almost insurmountable. All we have to do is think of the numerous commitments ahead, in the next 12 hours alone, and we become defeated. What we need to do at such times is to stop imagining how our day will go and start doing what the Lord has put in front of us.
Never be lacking in zeal, Paul wrote to the Romans, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. He realized, from experience, that when we are busy serving the Lord, we forget about our selves. We stop thinking about how we feel because our mind is focused on God. We put our thoughts behind as we move forward serving God.
There were many times when Paul could have felt discouraged and defeated. Traveling from town to town was difficult, not to mention the constant rigor of speaking to hostile crowds. But Paul knew clearly what he was called to do and he never lost sight of God’s purpose. Paul never gave himself a chance to ponder whether he wanted to follow God or not. He simply kept working, preaching, traveling and serving.
God calls us to use our heads, hearts and hands for him. He does not give these to us for our plans alone. We were created to serve him, not ourselves. It seems only natural that we keep our spiritual fervor when we use our lives in the way they were designed. Nothing else should give us greater pleasure or satisfaction.
Rising above tragedy (Monday, June 14)
Because of who we are and whose we are, we should be making the world better. On many occasions, we make things worse. We contribute to the problem. We react much like anyone else by getting upset, blaming others, and harboring angry thoughts. It is time we got over our natural instincts and live the way we have been taught. We need to rise above ourselves and take the higher road – God’s high way.
Recently, a two-year-old boy in our area drowned. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the family was enjoying an outing at a park. Somehow the boy wandered off on his own. Only minutes later, he was found dead in the lake.
I was saddened and upset by the tragedy. As a father, I cannot even fathom how the parents felt. Their son was gone forever, at two years old. What made matters worse, though, were the comments that people made online about the boy’s death. Was anyone watching this boy, someone asked. The parents are to blame, said another. Someone should be arrested.
All of the blame, accusations and regrets will not bring this boy back. The only thing we can do at this point is to pray for the parents and family. They are already suffering. Let’s not make their agony even greater by accusing them of actually killing their own son. Jesus taught us to comfort one another in our grief, not to condemn. This death should not have happened, but we cannot change the outcome. What we can change, however, is how we react now. Either we act out of love or out of anger. We already know what Jesus would do.
Lifting our lives (Sunday, June 13)
At the heart of Christianity is mercy – having sympathy on others. Everywhere he went, Jesus showed compassion; he healed those who were in need: the paralytic, the leper, the man at Bethesda, the person with the withered hand, the centurion’s son, the widow’s son, Jairus’ daughter, the unclean woman, the blind man, the dumb man, the crowd on the mountain by the Sea of Galilee, the deaf man, the epileptic boy and his dear friend Lazarus. In his humanity, Christ touched each one of them with his divinity.
How much more he does today to heal us as he reaches down from the very throne of heaven, where he sits at the right hand of the Father. He gives us the Holy Spirit, the comforter. He grants us his peace and strength. He bequeaths his authority, and he offers constant prayers of intercession. He is moved by what we are going through because he knows our frailties and weaknesses. He realizes our suffering because he himself also suffered during his time on earth.
Even as we sit here, reading these words, Jesus is once again taking our pain upon himself. He is holding our infirmities in his heart and hands, lifting them before the Father. As he has done so many times before, through thousands of years and in millions of lives, he is proclaiming wholeness and restoration in the name of the Father.
His great care and concern for us will never cease. Nor will his compassion. Jesus loves us with everlasting affection, and he longs to intercede for us. He is always willing to take our troubles upon himself so we can be healed in his name and for his glory.
His voice (Saturday, June 12)
God speaks to the world through voices everywhere. He says I love you through a loved one. He announces I am with you through a friend. He exclaims I am proud of you through a child. He proclaims I have chosen you through a neighbor.
The mixed sounds blend together in the daily life of a Christian – those who follow God’s words both through others and through Scripture. Listening to the voice of God builds the body of the individual as well as the body of Christ.
He speaks to his world through his people. The gentle but powerful sound is unmistakable. It is like the rush of wind that is not visible. The words can be felt both in the mind and in the heart. There is nothing else to compare in all the universe.
The still, small voice of God. We can hear it everywhere in the common, ordinary voices we meet every day.
Getting our way (Friday, June 11)
What happens when life does not go our way? How do we handle ourselves? Are we able to control our thoughts and actions or do we lose control of ourselves?
Frequently, we can be stubborn creatures. We want what we want, when we want. We do not want to wait, to be inconvenienced or to be put out in any way. Our personal desires and wishes can be so strong that they lead us to become self-centered, self-absorbed and self-seeking – exactly the opposite of how we are supposed to act.
Rather than being selfish, Jesus told us and taught us how to be selfless. We are to put the needs of others above our own. Once we stop thinking about ourselves every minute of the day, and put our focus on Jesus, then we will be able to relax. Why? Because we will accept the fact that God is in control. We will no longer have to worry about each little circumstance and situation.
"I have told you these things,” Jesus said, “so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." May we remember these words the next time we are tempted to become anxious or uneasy. Jesus has already overcome the world. We do not have to try to do it all over again. Let us put our trust in him and let him, not us, be in control.
The co-mission (Thursday, June 10)
The Great Commission is sharing the good news of salvation. As Christians, our co-mission is to tell the world what Jesus did for everyone through his death and resurrection. We know the truth about eternal life. All we have to do is to repeat what we know.
There is nothing complicated, complex or confusing about the message. Even children can tell how Jesus died on the cross and came back to life three days later. Girls and boys in the church accept and believe the story. As we grow up, however, we have all sorts of questions and doubts. We start to wonder why Jesus had to die in this way, why he had to suffer and what we should be doing as modern-day disciples. We try to make sense out of his birth, death and everything in between.
Jesus warned people about their grown-up attitudes and perspectives. He said we need to be careful of our own doubts as adults: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
We have to change who we are and what we think. If not, you and I will never enter the kingdom of heaven. We must first believe, without question, that eternity exists. Then we will be able to see it.
Faith-based power (Wednesday, June 9)
The many promises of God – for protection, strength, wisdom, peace, comfort, healing – come only when we are willing to accept them by faith. If we acknowledge these things through visible proof only, they are not promises at all. For then we believe in what we see, not in what we trust.
When a friend asks me to do something next week or next month, I can promise that it will be done. In my mind the matter is settled; it is over. I will do exactly as I said. On the other hand, my friend may not be so at ease. He may be somewhat restless and anxious about the matter. There may be lingering doubts about my commitment until the appropriate time arrives and I fulfill my promise.
My friend’s unbelief actually has two consequences: anxiety and doubt. First, he has spent the entire time feeling anxious about the promise I made. Second, his doubt has created a barrier between the two of us. His skepticism undermines our friendship; he does not really have confidence in me until I prove myself to him, until I show him I mean business.
The same can happen between us and God. Our lack of trust in his promises can destroy the kind of relationship he wants to have with us. How much love can we have for him, for example, if we are not willing to take him at his word? Faith is not faith when we require evidence. Faith comes alive, and finds it power, when we believe what we cannot see now but know it will happen anyway.
We risk the promises of God when we do not trust him. At the same time, we can damage the bond he has created with us through his son. God told the prophet Habakkuk that the righteous, the just, live by faith. In other words, our faith and faithfulness allow him to truly come alive in us.
To receive (Tuesday, June 8)
We not only have physical needs, but we have emotional and spiritual needs as well. We know what to do when we need food, water or clothing. We find great difficulty, though, knowing what to do when we are feeling down, lonely or distant from God. The problem may be that we do not like to show others that we are vulnerable and that we are not as strong as we think.
What at first might seem like a weakness – telling others we need something – could be a strength. Knowing when to ask for help can bring us closer to one another and to God. Only when we learn how to receive will we truly understand what it is like to give.
All of us find it easy to assist someone. We take deep pleasure, and satisfaction, in seeing others receive what will make their lives better and more fulfilling. On the other hand, we rarely experience what it is like to receive assistance, whether we need material or spiritual things. We might tell one or two of our closest friends about our circumstances, but we almost never tell an entire congregation.
I wonder if we would be better servants by practicing how to receive more. After all, God gives us everything we need to live and to prosper but we have to understand how to accept his gifts. I do not think it is possible to accept help from God and, at the same time, reject help from our earthly sisters and brothers. We can only be a family when we work together. That means we will always be one or the other: the giver or the receiver.
Righteous anger (Monday, June 7)
Anger is a temporary emotion that can be both good and bad. It can lead us to change a situation for the better or it can propel us downward and make matters worse. We need to make sure we control our anger if we are going to use it in a positive way.
We have no right to become upset over petty things: people who show up in the check-out line with more than 20 items, those who try to rule the road, individuals who think they are in charge of everything and persons who believe they are better than us. What can we possibly gain by letting these little irritations get to us?
But there are times, I think, when God wants us to become annoyed so that we will do or say something. The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a good example. We need to let the world know that this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the future. In this case, our anger should spur us toward taking better care of the earth that God has given to us. Another example is what is not being done in the Sudan. Millions in the Darfur region are homeless and without food or water. As many as 300,000, a vast number of them children, have died in the genocide during the past eight years. We need to use our anger to speak out against such atrocities.
Jesus became angry when he saw how the moneychangers and merchants were using the holy temple of God. He had a right to turn over the tables and drive out the offenders. In the same way, may we make sure we have the right to get angry the next time we see something that bothers us. Let us take time to think whether we have a God-given right to be upset or if we are just bothered because of how we feel personally.
Light and salt (Sunday, June 6)
You and I are supposed to be salt of the earth and light of the world. What Jesus meant is that we are set aside because we are different. We act differently, we speak differently and we think differently. Yet, often all we want to do is to fit in with everyone else around us. We want to be part of the group.
What we do not realize is that we are part of a group – the group that is called Christian and we follow his example of living and serving. And just like Jesus, our actions and words at times will go against the flow. We will not be accepted because we speak up or stand out. We are called to do the right thing, not the popular thing.
How many chances have passed us by in life when we failed to do what we should have done? Maybe someone was being mistreated right in front of us, yet we stood silently by. Maybe a boss intimidated a co-worker during a meeting, but we said nothing out of fear of losing our job. Maybe we even ignored making a comment about a circumstance or situation because we knew how people would react.
Our first thought should never be about how the world sees us. The first thing that should come to mind is what God wants us to do or speak. If we follow his will, then we have nothing to worry about. We will never have to take the rap for him. He can take care of himself and he will take care of us – especially when we are rejected by others. We have a divine right to let our light shine because we are the salt of the earth.
Go and tell (Saturday, June 5)
People reach out to us in a myriad of ways: emails, recorded phone messages, radio and television ads, billboards and even cell phone texts. We use modern technology in every form to communicate what we want to tell others. In our rush to impact more persons than ever before, however, we have lost the most important element: the human dimension.
Sometimes we forget the value of the personal touch. We do everything but show up in person to help someone. A text, card, email or a handwritten note can never achieve what we can by being there. Jesus never sat back and sent his followers out to tell others about the kingdom of heaven. He went to the crowds himself. He healed them. He talked to them. He fed them. He prayed for them, and he taught them.
How are you and I doing today at telling the world about our faith, our salvation, our church and our Savior? Do we let our bumper stickers, our church signs, our newspaper and Internet announcements proclaim who we are in Christ?
Perhaps it is time for us to really follow Jesus’ example by talking one-on-one with individuals. We can still use technology, but let us not forget the tools that God gave each one of us to communicate. We have voices, hands, words and feet to carry the message of the gospel far and wide. May we remember, too, those who live right next door and across the street.
A parable of help (Friday, June 4)
Love your neighbor as yourself, Jesus said. He meant that we should take care of our neighbors as we would take care of ourselves. We must even help those whom we do not know because all of us are sisters and brothers in the one family of God.
The story of the priest, Levite and Samaritan remind us of how we need to act toward others. A band of robbers had beaten a certain man, leaving him nearly dead on the road. A priest saw the man and walked by on the other side of the road. Later, a Levite did the same. Finally, a Samaritan stopped to help. He bandaged the man’s wounds and took him to a nearby inn. The next day, the Samaritan gave the innkeeper some money for the man’s expenses, and promised to pay any additional amount when he returned.
We often refer to this account as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Yet, it easily could have been called the Parable of the Good Priest or the Parable of the Good Levite. How we remember this story depends entirely on the actions of each individual, much like the way people will recall the deeds you and I perform this day.
Perhaps the things we do today will become known as the Parable of the Good Woman or the Parable of the Good Man in the mind of the person we help. Maybe our story, too, will be told over and over again. Let us make sure that we are pictured as loving our neighbors as ourselves, and not as someone who passed by on the other side of the road.
The legacy of our life (Thursday, June 3)
Most of us want to be known for something we have done or for what we do. Men, in fact, take a great deal of satisfaction in telling others about their vocation; more often than not, they derive tremendous self-worth and self-validation in their career or job.
Whether you are a teacher, secretary, painter, cashier, server, accountant or something else, you are really measured by what you do for the Lord. How much you are willing to do for him far outweighs what you do for the world. For example, I may be the best professor in my discipline, but it means nothing if I do not treat my students with compassion, concern and consideration.
We spend too much time worrying about our legacy – what people will think of us long after we are gone. Chances are everyone will forget about all of our achievements and accolades. What they will remember, though, is how we acted toward others, what we said to both friends and strangers, and how we were willing to give of our time to anyone who needed help any hour of the day or night.
Let us hope that people will recall our virtues and values, for these are the things that have eternal worth. The material and physical stuff that we long for right now will quickly fade and disappear. The money, cars, houses, awards and recognition will mean little in heaven. The only way to insure our legacy is to put our trust in God and let him take care of reminding the world how we served the kingdom.
Becoming smoother (Wednesday, June 2)
How much each one of us shines for the Lord depends on how much we have allowed ourselves to be used by him. Our luster and sheen as Christians should be much different than those who do not serve him.
We are much like the keys on a computer keyboard. Look at each one closely. You will notice that many have been worn down. They are smooth and glossy, while others on the outside edges are much the same as when you bought the computer. On my computer, the letters q, w, p, z and x look like I have hardly used them. On the other hand, the vowels seem to stand out the most; these special keys have been hit so much that now they gleam and reflect the light.
The same happens in our lives. When God uses us for his work, we do not become worn out. Instead, our roughness wears off; we become smooth and begin to give off more of his light and love. People will notice us more because we have allowed God to make us different and better. This is the reason why certain individuals stand out in spite of a life of hardship; the more they have endured, the more they glisten. God’s very hand has made them smooth. He has used them so much that they sparkle.
He leaves his mark on us. Each time the Lord touches us, he is making us brighter.
Listen up (Tuesday, June 1)
Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho, but God brought the victory. God told Joshua what to do each step of the way. He would fight the battle for Joshua. All Joshua had to do was listen to the Lord.
God’s instructions were clear and simple: “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
How often do you and I make things more difficult? We come up with all kinds of machinations and schemes when we are up against a problem or predicament. We plan our strategy, carefully calculating every move and countermove. We believe we are prepared to overcome the enemy when, in fact, the only thing we have done is to convince ourselves we are mightier than we think.
God has the answer and the victory in all circumstances. He will fight the battle for us if we are willing to listen to his commands. What he tells us to do make seem silly or ridiculous, but there is a reason. The only thing we need to understand is that it makes sense to God. All we have to do is listen and obey. Nothing could be easier.