June 1, 2016

Romans 13:  7Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

I will be camping, away from the internet on my birthday tomorrow. I am choosing this verse a day early, so that I may reflect on it while offline. 

May 31, 2016

Romans 12:  2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Paul has a lot of advice in this chapter. He tells the Romans to mourn with those who mourn, to rejoice with the rejoicing, to bless those who curse you. He encourages church members to serve the community in ways that reflect their individual gifts. But with all this interaction, the true believers will always be a bit removed from the world, as they try to find God's will in their lives. 

I am certainly one who often feels removed from the world at large. When I am surrounded by people, I often give in to sin and perform for audience approval. I truly want to know and follow God's will, but I am so distracted by my daily life. 

Prayer:  Lord, I need Your voice in my ear. I need to step out of the daily grind and into a more heavenly vision of all I can be and do. Guide me to renew my mind with Your guidance. 
Amen

May 29, 2016

Proverbs 10:  24

What the wicked dread will overtake them;
    what the righteous desire will be granted.

Solomon continues to dispense advice. We should be righteous, avoid gossip, be faithful to God and our fellow man. This verse tells about the end, and it offers hope to those who follow the straightforward path to God. In the final verse of Chapter 12, he asserts that the righteous are headed to immortality. 

I can picture the wicked, dreading what they know will overtake them. So they return with renewed vigor to their selfish pursuits, getting temporary comfort in the pleasures they indulge in. They lose sight of the big picture. They lack the faith to see what the ultimate goal is. We know that it will be all right in the end. 

Prayer:  I don't need much in a world that has lost sight of all You can offer, Lord. Stand by me, guide my words and actions. I know that someday I'll be with You, and that makes choosing a righteous life the best choice for me. Help me to serve You better. 

Amen

May 28, 2016

Proverbs 9:  7

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.

Solomon continues to offer his sage advice. Save your efforts to improve someone for the ones who are wise. They will listen and try to change. The mockers won't change; they will only hate you. The wise will learn from the rebuke. 

This brings to mind the 2016 Presidential election. It's so hard to watch the mockers. They revel in the public acclaim, and they give into their evil, self-aggrandizing rhetoric with vehemence. They aren't stupid, but they lack wisdom. They perceive any criticism as a personal attack, and they counterattack. They, and their followers, can't learn from their mistakes. They continue the cycle of abuse and insult. 

Prayer:  Lord, be with our country. We are such a powerful nation, and we need to be open to correction and rebukes.  We must learn and alter our course instead of attacking those who disagree with us. We need Your guidance. Speak to Your people. 

Amen

May 27, 2016

Romans 8:  35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

There's a lot of talk about following the pleasures of the flesh vs. following God in both Old and New Testament readings today. Solomon warns against looking for satisfaction outside your home. Paul talks about people who are pursuing these same pleasures as the ones who can't please God. It seems, then, that what separates us from God is not trouble or hardships but our own selfish desires. 

Nothing can separate the faithful from God, not even death. What separates us is our own unwillingness to turn to God. We try to find satisfaction in earthly things, and we lose sight of our faith. We have separated ourselves from our potential strengthening of our faith. We are distracted by all the shiny things, especially the ones that seem out of reach. 

Prayer:  Lord, I know that I lack faith at times. I struggle against the current instead of floating along with Your will for my life.  Help me to be more constant in my worship practices, even when my daily life is most chaotic. That's when I need You most. 
Amen

May 26, 2016

Proverbs 2:  8

for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Solomon is the ruler now. And he holds wisdom as the ultimate virtue after faith.   He understands that wisdom comes from God through faith. And those who are faithful lead better lives, because their actions are guided by God's wisdom. 

It's tough to just live sometimes. We are overwhelmed by the demands of daily existence, and then a crisis comes!  It's comforting to know that God has our backs. We are inadequate, but our faith completes us so that we can cope. 

Prayer:  Lord, I am not wise enough to deal with all that happens in my life. I am overwhelmed by the way I am feeling. I don't know what is the best thing to do. I need Your guidance and wisdom. Please show me how to live the best life I can through following Your will in all areas. 

Amen

May 24, 2016

Romans 5:  8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Paul is relentless in his attempt to persuade the Romans, and he does this by talking about the effect of the sin of one man versus the effect of the perfect sacrifice of another. He also contends that we who believe will receive extra benefits from the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

God's love for us is almost unbelievable. We are not worthy of it. We try God's patience every day. Yet, He sacrificed His only son for us even before anyone truly accepted the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer:  I need You, Lord. I'm weak. I'm sinful. I don't do all that I can to demonstrate the strength of my faith. Your love for me is there all the time regardless. Praises to You. 
Amen

May 18, 2016

Psalm 78:  4

We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.

The Psalmist lists the deeds of God during the Exodus. He tells how the unfaithful people tried God's patience. The Psalm ends with a testament to David, God's chosen leader for His people. 

I was thinking about the future of the church. It's truly amazing that our church has lasted for 2000 years, through all kinds of history and attacks on it. I just read an article about a possible rift in my denomination, the UMC.  No matter how the politics of the church play out, the essence is what is described here. Do we continue to be certain that our children know all that God offers the faithful?

Prayer:  Lord, guide me to be a Christian in the long line of those who have told the next generation of Your deeds, power and the miracles You can do when we open our hearts to You. Show me the way to keep Your legacy alive among the youngest members of Your people. Only You have the power to save us. 

Amen

May 17, 2016

1 Chronicles 29:  22 So that day they were very happy as they ate and drank in the presence of the Lord.

It's almost the end of David's life. He is proclaiming for the second time that God has chosen Solomon to succeed him as king. They have quite a feast for the people. 

It's nice to think about a party like this just to thank God for all he has done for his people. We really don't have that kind of togetherness today. And we celebrate our diversity, but it sure would be nice to find everyone on the same page, especially where God is concerned. 

Prayer:  Lord, I want to celebrate You and all the blessings You have given me. I would like to see other people of faith join in a united celebration of Your power and majesty. Guide Your followers to make a joyful noise in Your name for all the world to hear. 
Amen

May 16, 2016

Psalm 91:  15

He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.

David is coming to the end of his life. It's necessary for him to rise from his comfortable bed to deal with the threat that the wrong son succeeds him as king. He made it plain that Solomon was chosen by God. I like to think that this is some advice he offered his son. God is available to everyone as He was to David. 

The promise is real. God is there for us. He will answer our call and comfort us. He will deliver us and honor our faithfulness. We people of faith are unbelievably blessed. 

Prayer:  Lord, I want to feel Your presence with me. I know that You are are always there for me. I trust in Your goodness and mercy. Guide my steps to bring me closer to You. 

Amen

May 14, 2016

1 Chronicles 22: 13 Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and law sthat the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous.Do not be afraid or discouraged.

1 Thessalonians 3:  12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 

Both verses, from both Testaments, go together so well. David spoke to Solomon in the first. God told David that his many wars made him unfit to build a temple for God. So David has done what he could to help his son be ready to do that. He wants his son to be the best person he can be. And Paul has a similar paternal feeling towards his churches. 

These messages of advice were too compelling to choose only one. We need both strength and wisdom, along with a lot of love, to make it here on earth. It's not easy to find your path in a world full of competing interests. We are pulled in many directions. The laws and love of our God are still the best guidance we have. Reviewing so many tales of our childhood with old friends yesterday really highlighted this for me. 

Prayer:  Lord, I need your love and guidance to find my way. I promise to be strong and courageous. I promise to follow Your rules. And, above all, I promise to love Your people. 
Amen

May 11, 2016

Matthew 28:  14 " And if the Governor should hear of this, we will convince him that you are innocent, and you will have nothing to worry about.”

This is the reaction of the chief priests to finding out about the resurrection. They pay the men who were guarding the grave to say that the disciples took Jesus's body from the tomb. They are supposed to say that they were asleep and not able to stop them. The author goes on to say that the lie is still being repeated.

It's amazing how delusional these guys were. A man who dies comes back to life, but their initial reaction is to cover that up. They don't question why they killed an innocent man to begin with. They have no faith that God is in charge. They are evil.

Prayer:  I am sorry for my own lack of faith. I know that I take my eyes off you all the time. I'm guilty of forgetting the One who made me and who has comforted me. I'm sorry that I am not a better servant. Forgive me, Lord.
Amen

May 9, 2016

Matthew 26:  52 Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."

The followers of Jesus were not prepared for his arrest, even though he had been telling them about it for some time. One grabs a sword and cuts the ear off the servant of the high priest. This is what Jesus said about that. 

It's a common quote, but it's not the way people want to live. We admire those who would draw the sword to defend those they love. We call people who won't draw the sword cowards. Yet it seems that Jesus doesn't approve of these kinds of activities. He wants us to live a life of loving acceptance. 

Prayer:  Lord, I will accept Your will for me. I will follow wherever You lead, and I will be ready to do what You ask. Show me the way that You prepare for me. 
Amen

May 6, 2016

2 Solomon 12:  24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him;

This is the end of the sad story of Uriah the Hittite. David saw his wife, and he wanted her. After all, he was the king and nobody refused him anything. Then she told him that she was pregnant, so he tried to trick Uriah into sleeping with her, so everyone would think Uriah was the father. When that didn't work, he sent Uriah into battle with orders to let the enemy kill him. God sent Nathan to let him know that there would be punishment. The baby died. Shockingly, David, who grieved until the baby's death, resumed his life afterwards, secure that God still loved him. 

It's a shocking story of the failings of God's favorite. David had been tight with God from the time he was a boy. But, like all of us, he sinned. He coveted Bathsheba, and he used his power to cover up his sins. In the end, he returns to God, and God is still there for him. I guess we don't need to worry that our sins break us apart from God. We are in good company, and God loves us anyway. 

Prayer:  Lord, I am a sinner. I do things and say things that I shouldn't. I ask for Your forgiveness, and I know You are always there for me. Help me to keep my faith a vital thing, a relationship with You that is the most real and true relationship that I will ever have. Stand by me, and guide me. 
Amen

May 3, 2016

Matthew 20:  31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Jesus is moving around and teaching in his final days. He passes these blind men. They shout out to him. Despite the efforts of the crowd to get them to shut up, they won't. Jesus stops and asks what they want. They want to see, and he makes that happen. 

It's the persistent faith of the blind men that intrigues me. It must have been intimidating to be in the crowd you couldn't see. And then they are angrily telling you to shut up. But the faith and need of these men outweighs their reluctance to stir up the crowd. And they were rewarded for their faith. 

Prayer:  Help me to stay persistent in my faith, Lord. Sometimes that's hard, in the face of daily demands and the lack of understanding among those who surround me. I need Your strength and comfort every day. Guide me to a path which leads to You. 
Amen

May 2, 2016

Matthew 19:  26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

People fall short. In this chapter, we find out Jesus's opinions on divorce. And then there's the rich young man who left sadly, because he knew that he couldn't give up his possessions to follow Jesus. Jesus says that it's hard to be rich and also right with God. The disciples wonder who can be saved. This is Jesus's response. 

It certainly is good that God has our backs. We would be sunk otherwise. We are selfish. We are easily distracted. We fall short in so many ways. But we have grace. God makes it possible for sinners like us to know Him. 

Prayer:  Lord, You are the One. You are our salvation and the way to eternal life. We are unworthy. Thanks for caring. I will sing Your praises until the time when I get to join You. 
Amen