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“It is I”

Wouldn’t it be great if we could actually see what is right in front of us?  Today, the Bible opened in Mark:

Then he made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,* while he dismissed the crowd.  And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray.  When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.  Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.  He meant to pass by them.  But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out.  They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”  He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were [completely] astounded.  They had not understood the incident of the loaves.  On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Mark 6:45-52

Jesus had just fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, but His disciples had not fully understood.  They still did not grasp who He was.  He walked on water and they were afraid, thought he was a ghost.  They did not understand.  Today it is easy to think how much more obvious could it be.  But He had to tell them “it is I”.

How many times in my life is it obvious.  How many times is God at work in our lives and we ignore it, look the other way or take credit for it ourselves.  God is calling out to us and telling us, It is I.  He is here.  Do not be afraid.

God,

Help me to see you!  Help me to know your presence. Thank you for taking care of me and those around me.

 

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There is Dissension All Around Us

Romans is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  Today it opened to the end of Romans:

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles, in opposition to the teaching that you learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites, and by fair and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent.  For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise as to what is good, and simple as to what is evil; then the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Romans 16:17-20

“Watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles.”  I feel like that is all of us at some point or another.  Think about all of the arguments that occur every day, in your own life, in the world.  Think about all of the ways that we classify each other or otherwise try to draw lines of distinction between us and others.  Think about all the times we try to feel better about ourselves at the expense of others.  How many times do we start arguments or otherwise create separation between us and others?  Watch out for everyone?  Watch out for ourselves?

This one is hard for me, because I feel like I live in dissension.   Sometimes I even thrive on it.  I need to recognize that every time I argue, or try to place myself above others, or classify or rank individuals into groups, I create dissension.  And in doing so, I am certainly not serving the Lord, instead I am serving my own appetite, my own desire to feel right.  I am flattering myself and deceiving myself from what is right and what is good.  This false flattery weakens us, weakens me — it doesn’t make us better, it doesn’t make us right.  It pulls us away from God and his purpose for us.  It pulls us away from love.

Lord,

Let us be wise to what is good and simple to what is evil.  Let us reject the dissension around us (and that sometimes bubbles up inside us (me)).  Let us recognize it for what it is.  Provide us with the peace of knowing your love and knowing that there is enough for all of us.  We do not need to fight over it or try to put ourselves above others to receive it.  Help us to share your love.

 

 

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Send me your Spirit!

Tonight I attended a friend’s confirmation and when I arrived home, the Bible opened here:

Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,” let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.  Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.  We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.  We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:19-25

I can feel the Spirit rushing around us!

Tonight I watched 40 teenagers enter into the church, become adults in the church.  Let us rouse them to love and do good works.

I used to think I did not need the church or other people to find God.  Maybe not.  But it sure helps to have others encouraging us, praying with us, strengthening us.  “We should not stay away from our assembly” but “encourage one another.”  Oh, you teenagers who are just entering the church, I pray that you find comfort, encouragement, and strength in the assembly that God has gathered in His church.  Consider it not an obligation, but a home,  a family, God’s family.  Your role in it is so important!  Do not stay away!

Lord, help me to encourage others as those you have sent around me, encourage me.  Give me a sincere heart — a clean heart — wiped clean from my sins! My hope and my trust is in you! Send me your spirit, oh Lord!

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God or Robert Redford?

Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek are in town.  And everyone is milling around the streets hoping to catch a glimpse.  I admit I was one of the gawkers.  Drove through town a couple of times trying to see something besides the big movie trailers and security personnel.  Why?  So I can tell people I saw Robert Redford or was this close to Sissy Spacek.  I assume the same reason the small-town streets that are normally empty are suddenly streaming with people.

This morning when I opened the Bible, it opened to the story of Peter’s denial of Christ in Luke.

After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance.  They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them.  When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, “This man too was with him.”  But he denied it saying, “Woman, I do not know him.”  A short while later someone else saw him and said, “You too are one of them”; but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.”  About an hour later, still another insisted, “Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.”

Luke 22:54-61

I am struck by how many people are desperate to be able to say they met Robert Redford (or insert any celebrity here), a man who they know primarily through the make believe that he creates.  And yet here is Peter who is desperate to hide that he knows Jesus.  The Truth.

We want to be around fame and fortune, fleeting as both may be.  And hide from God and truth, and eternity.  And of course it is easy to say , if I had known Jesus, I would not have been like Peter (I remember thinking that as a child), but now I recognize how many times I, in fact, do deny Him. How many times I hide knowing Him or having a relationship with Him.

So I may not meet Robert Redford, but that is ok.  I think I would rather brag that I met God, that I know God, and that I will one day see God.

(No disrespect meant to Mr. Redford, who seems like a very nice man, its just that God is better —  But I would still be happy to meet Mr. Redford too!)

God, I am sorry for the times I deny you.  I am sorry for the times I look for happiness in fame, fortune and worldly treasures.  I want to know you better!  I want to be with you.

 

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The Book of Ruth

God sent me another reminder today — do unto others…

The Bible opened to the Book of Ruth.  If you have not read it, it is worth the read.  It’s a relatively short chapter and tells the story of Ruth, who stands by her mother-in-law, Naomi, when Ruth’s husband (Naomi’s son) dies.  Naomi begs Ruth to abandon her, and essentially save herself, telling her that she is too old, but Ruth can go on and find a new husband. Ruth refuses.

But Ruth said, “Do not press me to go back and abandon you!  Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.  Where you die I will die, and there be buried. May the LORD do thus to me, and more, if even death separates me from you!”

Ruth 1:16-17

Ruth does unto others as she would have them do unto her.  She puts Naomi’s needs above her own.  And she finds the way to happiness for both her and Naomi.  Without abandoning Naomi, she finds a new husband and gives birth to a child, who will become the grandfather to David.  And along the way she helps Naomi, who initially appeared to have given up.  After her husband and then her sons died, Naomi felt that God was against her.  But by the end, thanks to Ruth’s faithfulness, Naomi is being reminded of how great God is:

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with a redeemer. May he become famous in Israel!  He will restore your life and be the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!”  Naomi took the boy, cradled him against her breast, and cared for him.   The neighbor women joined the celebration: “A son has been born to Naomi!”   They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth 4:14-17

The Book of Ruth told me two things:  Do good for others and good will come to you.  And don’t doubt God’s plan.  It was certainly a hard journey for both Ruth and Naomi, but how important the journey was.

Dear God,

Your plans are great and sometimes mystical to me.  Sometimes, I just don’t understand.  Help me to never give up.  Help me to trust in you.  Help me to put the needs of others ahead of my own, even when doing so seems to be against my interests.  Help me to realize that your interests are my interests.

Amen

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Daily reminder

Today the Bible opened to a verse of which I could use a daily reminder.

“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.   And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.  If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.  But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.  Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:27-36

Sometimes it is hard to do good to those who are good to me, let alone those who are not.  It is easy to get wrapped up in myself and my own needs.

Help me Lord to be more giving.  Help me be good to those who are not good to me.  Help me to remember to pray for those around me — in particular those who have hurt me (and pray more than just “Lord help them not to hurt me anymore.”)  Help me to do good and not expect anything in return.  Help me to show love and mercy, even when I am hurting. And God, please remind me of these words every day.

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Rejoice!

I want to rejoice in the Lord!  That is what I woke up thinking.  And I thought to myself, I hope the Bible opens to a joyful section.  It opened to the book of Micah, and not knowing much about Micah, my first thought was a groan.  But once I started reading Micah, I could not put it down!  (Micah is not a long book, so again don’t be overly impressed.)  It is chock full of goodness, particularly if you skip over the first section, “Oracles of Punishment,” and dive right into “Oracles of Salvation.”  Allow me to share my favorite passages:

On that day—oracle of the LORD—I will gather the lame, And I will assemble the outcasts, and those whom I have afflicted.  I will make of the lame a remnant, and of the weak a strong nation; The LORD shall be king over them on Mount Zion, from now on and forever.

Micah 4:6-7

I love the idea of forever!  And love that our physical limitations will be meaningless!

But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah least among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, Then the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel.  He shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the LORD, by the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth: he shall be peace.

Micah 5:1-4

How can I not rejoice about the foretelling of Jesus’ birth!  The last line sends warm love through me, each time I read over it: “he shall be peace.”

With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

What God asks of us, is really quite simple: do justice, love goodness, walk humbly with God.  I am struck by the juxtaposition of this with the question right before it: “shall I give my firstborn for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  As a mother, I cannot even imagine the thought of doing this.  But of course, God does not require anything like this from us.  His request of us, really is quite simple, and quite painless, and indeed will make us happy.  But still we struggle with it. So God takes on the ultimate sacrifice for us, He gives His son as a sacrifice for our sins.

And then Micah shouts out in confidence in the Lord:

But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will wait for God my savior; my God will hear me! Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD is my light. I will endure the wrath of the LORD because I have sinned against him, Until he pleads my case, and establishes my right. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see his righteousness.

Micah 7:7-9

I echo these words.  I look to the Lord!  I wait for God my savior!  Though I have fallen, I will rise!  Though I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light!  Despite my sin, the Lord will bring me forth to light and I will see His righteousness!

Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our iniquities?  You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.

Micah 7:18-19

Praise God!

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God’s grace

Today was a good day — but then what Friday is not a good day!  I was able to get some work done,  celebrated a friend’s 50th birthday, and participated in a moving, live stations of the cross.  I feel accomplished and satisfied.    The Bible opened tonight to Ephesians:

You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.  All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.  For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

Ephesians 2: 1-10

I am reminded of God’s grace, that allows me to do all things.  I am God’s handiwork.  And you are God’s handiwork.  We are both perfectly made.  We are made for good works.  Everything around us is God’s creation, who am I to boast?  Except to boast in the Lord, who truly is almighty and amazing.  Would that I could show one ounce of the love he pours out on us.  Showering us with it every second.  The greatest works on earth, the greatest accomplishments, the greatest day — are but a fleck of dust compared to all that God can do.  And yet, I believe He delights in what we do.  Smiles with us at our happiness, and beams when we do good.  (And I think He laughs at us —  just a bit — when we forget where we come from.)

I am also reminded of one of the powerful truths.  I can not earn my way into heaven — I do not have the power or authority to achieve a spot.  It is only by God’s grace that we are saved.  Thankfully he freely gives us this gift!  As much as I would love to win this with something I have done,  to feel the power (I guess) of accomplishing this, I am grateful for the gift — because I know despite my desire, that I am not worthy or strong enough to earn it on my own.  It is comforting knowing that I don’t have to do it all on my own.  Instead all I have to do is have faith that God will provide me with the grace I need, sufficient grace.

Thank you God for providing us with your grace.  All that I am, I owe to you.  I desperately want to be the being that you want me to be.  Provide me with the strength and grace to know the path. May all of my boasts be in you.  All of my pride be in you and in being your child.  Guide me please (and give me the grace to follow).

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I am weary

God knows when we need renewal.  It seems like everyone around me is tired and weary.  My friends and family are weak and in pain.  Today I opened the Bible and found strength for our weakness:

Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing!

Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is God from of old, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives power to the faint, abundant strength to the weak.

Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

Isaiah 40:26-31

Life can certainly make us weary.  Even in our youth, we grow weary.  Weary from making mistakes.  Weary from choosing not to follow God.  Weary from the sins of the world around us.  We stagger and fall along the way.  Sometimes it seems we may never get up.  But God does not grow weary.  And God does not give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves and give up on God.  From the beginning of time, God has provided strength.  “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”  It seems like the end of the week is when I am at my weariest. But I hope in the Lord!

Renew my strength, O God!  And renew the strength of those around me!  I want to run (to you, O God) and not grow weary!  Help me to soar on eagles’ wings.

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A Whale of a Story

I have heard many times the story of Jonah and the whale, or at least I thought I had.  I knew that he was swallowed by a whale and God helped him escape after 3 days and 3 nights.  But apparently I missed much of the story.  Today the Bible opened to the book of Jonah.  And I read the book of Jonah — it is only 2 pages, so don’t be too impressed.  What I did not know, or never paid attention to before, was how Jonah got into the water (and eventually into the whale’s stomach).  Apparently Jonah was traveling in a boat with others when a great storm arose:

Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, “How could you do such a thing!”—They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD, because he had told them.  They asked, “What shall we do with you, that the sea may calm down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more stormy.  Jonah responded, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea and then the sea will calm down for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me.”

Still the men rowed hard to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy.  Then they cried to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, LORD, have accomplished what you desired.”  Then they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging.  Seized with great fear of the LORD, the men offered sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Jonah 1:10-16

Jonah was running from the Lord.  He was physically turning away from God.  And what did God do? He didn’t kill him, although the other sailors thought that was what God wanted, He didn’t harm Jonah at all.  He called him back — He sent Jonah a wake up call.   Jonah answered the wake up call:

From the womb of Sheol I cried for help, and you heard my voice.  You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the flood enveloped me; All your breakers and your billows passed over me.  Then I said, “I am banished from your sight!  How will I again look upon your holy temple?” The waters surged around me up to my neck; the deep enveloped me; seaweed wrapped around my head.  I went down to the roots of the mountains; to the land whose bars closed behind me forever, But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD, my God.

Jonah 2:3-7

Jonah went down to the depths, and God brought him back.  He returned him to dry land.  He returned him to safety.  Jonah ran from God, told God no, and God called him back and brought him to safety.  It’s a whale of a story.  It’s our story.  Maybe we don’t physically run from God, but we sometimes (maybe more times than we like to admit) turn our backs on God, we choose to make our own plans rather than follow God’s plan.  God still calls us back.  He is waiting to return us to dry land no matter how far down we go.

Thank you God!