September 29, 2015

Luke 12:  34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus has talked about the birds and the flowers, who never worry but are taken care of by God. He has talked about storing up riches while not giving a thought to your relationship with your creator. 

What do I treasure?  I'm worried, even though I understand that I don't need to be. The riches are piling up, my inheritance. Instead of peace, they are giving me worry. Is this the answer I seek? I only need to put my heart in the right place. 

Prayer:  Lord, I am suffering. Grief takes hold of me, and I have pain and worry. Let me know how I should handle my financial blessings. Comfort me when the grief strikes. I need Your faithful guidance. 
Amen

September 27, 2015

Luke 10:  37 The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’

Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

This is the end of the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told about the priest and the Levite who avoided the wounded man. He also told about the Samaritan who took care of him, costing him time, effort and money. Then he asked which was the neighbor. 

I especially like that last sentence. Go and do likewise. It reminds me of John Wesley's words, "Do all the good you can...."

Prayer:  Lord, help me to do as the Good Samaritan did. Open my eyes to the need, and move me to do whatever I can to be there for those I encounter. 

Amen

September 26, 2015

Luke 9:  54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[b]?’

Jesus and his disciples are heading back to Jerusalem after the transfiguration. Some messengers go into a Samaritan village to tell them to get ready for Jesus, but they don't welcome him. The disciples want revenge. 

People are attacking the Pope during his visit to America. This reminds me of the response of the disciples although they clearly had a better case than the Pope haters do. Jesus responded by rebuking the disciples. Then he left. I feel like he would rebuke the Pope haters too. Hate just isn't his way. 

Prayer:  I am so blessed to serve the God of truth and love. I want to promote a positive regard among Your people, especially all who identify as Christians. Help Your servants to see each other through eyes of love, not judgment. 
Amen

September 25, 2015

Luke 8:  2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

The  12 were traveling with Jesus. On this trip, he told the parable of the seeds and the lamp on the stand. 

I chose this passage, because I was thinking about women in the church. Women are instrumental in our faith, and here are the earliest examples. The Pope spoke about another yesterday before Congress, a woman named Dorothy Day, who founded 40 Catholic Worker houses for the poor. She was also vigorously antiwar. 

Prayer:  I am blessed to be included in the group of women of faith. I'm humbled by the contributions of others, and I pray to be of greater service to my God. Guide my actions to better reflect Your love for Your people. 
Amen. 

September 24, 2015

Luke 7:  34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” 

Jesus talks about John the Baptist and himself. The leaders of the church call John demon-possessed. They say that because he and his followers practiced fasting and didn't drink wine. Jesus enjoyed the pleasures of food and drink. Jesus chose to associate with people who knew that they were sinners. 

This reminds me of the Pope's visit to America. The Pope is not just making the rounds to the powerful. He also scheduled time for the poor. He won't use fancy cars. He seems like a man who gets it, who truly knows Jesus. The press, like the Pharisees, loves to criticize his every word. 

Prayer:  Lord, let the Pope's visit be uplifting for Your people. Help us to see You in him. Help us to understand his humility as a trait we should admire and emulate. Protect him and all of those who go to see him. 
Amen

Too good not to post:  Psalm 85:  11 

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness looks down from heaven.

September 23, 2015

Luke 6:  37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Jesus talks a lot in this chapter. He gives the Beatitudes. He tells us to turn the other cheek. There are 2 verses which summarize the whole philosophy, and this is one. The other is about loving your enemies without expectations of their returning the love. 

I want to be like this. I want to end the judgment of others, which only torments me. I surely don't want the authority to condemn anyone. I find new places where I have held onto resentment instead of forgiving others. 

Prayer:  Lord, make me a better servant for You. Help me to see when I start down one of these paths of judgment. Guide me to forgive all those people instead of carrying the hurt and resentment inside of me. Forgive me when I fall short of everything You know that I can be. 
Amen

September 22, 2015

Psalm 123:  3

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.

The Psalmist has endured contempt from the arrogant and the proud. He looks to the Lord on His throne, as a slave would look up to a master. He wants mercy. 

We were looked upon with contempt during and after the caving trip. It was humbling. There was some mercy, but the majority treated us with contempt, due to our lack of strength. The"mean girls"  stood right behind us in the dinner line and wouldn't even make eye contact. They were so afraid to show us mercy. They didn't want to be identified with us. 

Prayer:  I pray for those who are treated with contempt, regardless of the reasons. Your people are all precious to You.  Help me to see when I can extend mercy to those who have suffered from the unfeeling attitudes of those around them. 

Amen

September 21, 2015

Luke 4:  18

‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,'

Jesus reads this at his hometown synagogue. The people are surprised at first; they can't believe that Mary and Joseph's son talks like this. Then they get angry, because they don't understand at all. They want to hurt Jesus, but he walks right through the crowd unharmed. 

Why can't we rejoice in others' blessings? Why do we feel that we need to bring them down?  Jesus has spoken the truth, but the people reject him. Somehow they feel smaller, and they lash out against the one they perceive to have caused their discomfort. 

Prayer:  Let me recognize Your people in my world, Lord. Help me to act in a way that lifts them up. I never want to be a hindrance to Your work. 

Amen

September 18, 2015

Luke 1:  19 The angel said to him, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.'

Gabriel has come to tell Zechariah of the good news. Elizabeth will bear a son in her old age. Zechariah finds this hard to believe, and Gabriel mutes him until the child is born and named John, in accordance with the Lord's words spoken by Gabriel. 

I'm interested in the appearance of the angel and all the other ways God speaks to us. It's so hard for people to believe, even when it happens to them. We live every day in a world we can understand, so we are disbelieving when something so out of the ordinary happens. 

Prayer:  Lord, I long to hear Your voice speaking to me. I want to know Your will in my life. Be there for me and for those I love. 
Amen

September 17, 2015

Revelations 22:  17 The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.'

Jesus has spoken to John and the angel. He says that he is coming soon, and he warns that many will be left outside while his followers enjoy the stress-free life in his kingdom. 

I'm wondering if I will be meeting the thirsty next month when I return to Mother's home. I was so moved by the rightness of her passing, and I pray that it affected others the same way. I know that I heard the call to come as she did, and it's hard to see how others could not have been similarly affected. 

Prayer:  Lord, help me to be a good witness for You. Guide me to show others that You are the way to eternal peace. In my grief, help me to find empathy for the struggles of others and a clear path to become all You want me to be. 
Amen

September 16, 2015

Revelations 21:  4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death”[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

A loud voice from God's throne says these words. The new kingdom has arrived. The promise of life eternal with God is fulfilled. 

I am deeply affected by death and mourning right now. I need to feel that the promised time is coming; I need to know that God has promised me a time when death, pain, crying and pain are no longer with us. 

Prayer:  Lord, I look forward to the time when all the bad feelings are gone. I want to be in a place without grief and pain.  Help me to serve you here on Earth until my time is right to join You in glory. 
Amen

September 13, 2015

Ezekiel 33:  31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.   

God is speaking to Ezekiel. Ezekiel has tried to warn the people that they need to find God. They go through the motions, but their minds are on the ways they can take advantage of other people. There is a lot of talk about the righteous people who do evil. They will be judged by their evil, not by their earlier righteousness. The evil people who turn to God, on the other hand, will be forgiven their earlier sins. 

I'm trying to feel God again. The numbness following the death of my mother has left me out of touch with the feeling of closeness I have experienced in the past. I believe in God, and I specifically believe that He came and took my mother home. But I am not feeling the pipeline from God's mouth to my ear, and I long for that. 

Prayer:  Lord, let me hear Your voice. I am suffering, as are those I care most about. I want You to lead me into this new, motherless phase of my life. Be with me. 
Amen

September 12, 2015

Daniel 3:  16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter."

Nebuchadnezzar has erected the golden statue and directed everyone to fall down in worship to it. The three faithful Jews refuse, even under the threat of being thrown into the fiery furnace. They recognize the ultimate authority of the one true God above anything on Earth.

I'm so sad this morning. The grief is back in force. There's so much to be done, but I am stuck. Every time I feel like I'm returning to normal life, I am reminded that normal is not what it used to be. There is some liberation, but it's overshadowed by all I have lost. I don't have to answer to anyone except my God, and I can't rely on anyone else either.

Prayer:  Calm the storm within me, Lord. I grieve, and I know that's natural.  I need Your comfort.  I seek Your peace. My heart is broken. Your Holy Spirit got me through the last 2 weeks. I am asking for new guidance, as I move forward into the next stage of my sorrow.
Amen

September 11, 2015

Daniel 1:  17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

The captives in Babylon include Daniel and his friends. They are faithful to the Lord. The Lord helps them become an important part Nebuchadnezzar's court. This proves to be the way that God speaks to Nebuchadnezzar. 

Daniel is just the kind of servant I want to be. He is adaptable, but he doesn't bend on the importance of his faith. He won't eat food defiled by dedication to false gods. He trusts God to make that okay. And he has a pipeline to God. He's a prophet.  Even Nebuchadnezzar sees his worth, and he recognized that Daniel's strength came from the one true God. 

Prayer:  Strengthen my faith, Lord. Make me more like your servant, Daniel. Help me to serve You.  Help me to stand firm when something is truly important. Help me to let things go when they are trivial. Give me judgment to tell which is which. 
Amen

September 10, 2015

Lamentations 3: 57
You came near when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”

The Babylonians have overthrown the Israelites. The people are slaves working hard but still starving. The author has been crying out in pain for his people, although he understands that it's the results of their lack of faith. He doesn't lack faith, however, and the Lord comforted him. 

I'm in fear for my daughter. I called on God for her this morning. Her life in her present location is falling apart. She wants to quit her job and move away. I am asking God to calm and comfort her. 

Prayer:  

September 9, 2015

Revelations 14:  13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
"Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

This is just before Jesus appears on his throne. A call for patient endurance by Christians preceded it. 

I'm moving into a new stage of grief for my mother. The adrenaline high which got me through the first 10 days is gone. I am left, exhausted and sad. This passage, from one Bible book I generally dread reading, gives me comfort. My mother was indeed blessed, and she can now rest. Her faithfulness to Christ was tested, but her faith prevailed even under attack from both man and Satan. 

Prayer:  Lord, guide me through my times of grief and heartbreak. Be with me when I falter. Help me to see You in my day to day life. 
Amen

September 8, 2015

Psalm 48:  10
Your name is known everywhere, God,
    and people throughout the earth praise you.
    You have shown that you do what is right.

The Psalmist tells us that God has protected his city. The city is strong because of God. The people praise Him in the temple. But God's fame is not limited to the city. Others recognize His power because of His actions. 

God is good all the time. His actions may cause us pain, but they are always the right way. I'm writing my first entry after the death of my mother. That hurts, but it was the best thing for her and maybe for others too. 

Prayer:  Lord, let the death of my mother be a door opening to You for those who saw or heard her story. Comfort me and the others who suffer from the loss of Your faithful servant. I love You. 

Amen