Reading the Bible with Bill

Monday, February 13: Jeremiah 41- A secular land.

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Intrigue, assignation, cold-blooded murders, kidnapping, revenge are some of the elements of this chapter, but not one mention of the Lord. The voice of God has disappeared in Jerusalem and Judah. The tale told in this chapter seems more fitting for a soap opera than a chapter in the life of the people of God.

This is what happens when the word of God ceases to be the foundation of life.

I hear a warning in this chapter… a warning to us in the 21^st century. It is easy to build a life on our wisdom and our strength, yet have it devoid of God and the wisdom of His Word. It is called a ‘secular world’ and we see the results of it everyday when we pick up the newspaper or scan the headlines of our web news sources.

You and I may not be able to control our world, but we can control our lives. Are you (am I) building my life on the Word of God? Or are we living unto ourselves, building our lives on our best wisdom devoid of God and the wisdom of His Word?

Thank about it…

Lord, I pray that my mornings with You will help me build my life upon You and Your Word and Your wisdom. Help me to not merely read Your Word but digest it. Grant me the gift of Your Holy Spirit that You might teach me the truth of Your Word and the Spirit’s power to incorporate the Word’s power and wisdom into my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saturday, February 11: Jeremiah 40- Guidance.

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Chapter 40 ends at an odd place with the account of Gedaliah continuing into chapter 41. So I decided to sit and meditate on the opening portion of chapter 40. After reading through the entire chapter and into 41, I went back and reread verses 1-6…

I was amazed how God used Nebuzaradan, commander of the Babylon army, to speak so specifically to Jeremiah. In a matter of fact manner, Nebuzaradan explains God’s actions and Jeremiah’s options, guiding Jeremiah to his decision.

God uses so many ways to lead and guide us… His written word, the apt comment of a friend, coworker, or in this case, a relative stranger. God uses a prompting placed in our heart and mind, and human reason. God sometimes speaks directly to us through voice or picture. Examples of all of these are found in scripture.

What amazes me is that God speaks with and to us. God really does have a plan and path for us and I believe if we listen, God will lead and guide us in paths that will bring Him glory and honor and serve others along the way…

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the king of creation. O, my soul sings for He is my strength and salvation…

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, who leads us in paths of righteousness for His name sake…

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, who gently sustains us…

All you who hear, now to His presence draw near. Yes, draw near to the Lord… through faith in Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Friday, February 10: Jeremiah 39- A sad day.

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For years God has been warning Judah that Jerusalem will fall if Judah does not repent and return to worshipping the Lord. God’s Words are not idle threats (or idle promises). God’s Words are true and they are fulfilled in God’s timing. The time for Judah and Jerusalem has come. The invitation to repent and return has reached its deadline. Judgment descends in the strong hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.

This is a sad day. People who disregarded God’s warnings paid dearly. Jeremiah weeps at the destruction of Jerusalem (the next book in the Bible, Lamentations, is the lament Jeremiah writes as he witnesses the destruction of Jerusalem.)

The chapter speaks a warning to me and to all people. God fulfills His Word. You can bank on that.

When God offers eternal life through faith in Jesus, God’s offer is good. However, there will come a day when the offer runs out and God’s judgment on those who do not believe in Jesus will come. Have you accepted God’s offer of righteousness in Jesus and eternal life? Or are you still in rebellion? My advice… don’t mess with God. You don’t know when He will call you to account.

You don’t want to suffer God’s judgment. Faith in Jesus Christ is your only hope for avoiding it.

Think about it…

Father, thank You for Jesus and His offer to give us His righteousness and remove the stain of guilt for all the sinful things we have done. Lord Jesus, I accept Your offer of grace and forgiveness. Save me. Give me a new heart, one that loves You, the Father and the Holy Spirit, unconditionally. I ask this through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Thursday, February 9: Jeremiah 38- Being true to God and self.

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For years now Jeremiah has been speaking words from the Lord that were unpopular with the leaders and officials of Judah. By some calculations Jeremiah’s words could be considered treasonous. Jeremiah was advocating surrender to the Babylonians, corporately and individually. This is the report of Jeremiah’s prophetic words: "This is what the LORD says: 'Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. He will escape with his life; he will live.' And this is what the LORD says: 'This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it'" (2-3).

Picture the situation, Jeremiah is telling soldiers and citizens they will live only if they surrender or defect… your choice of description.

For this leading, court officials throw Jeremiah into a cistern with the full knowledge and blessing of the king. Can we really blame the officials who did this?

Sometime later, the king comes to Jeremiah to ask him personally what God says.

Consider Jeremiah’s situation. The king who controls his fate is asking him about what he should do. The man, ultimately if not personally responsible for his imprisonment, is seeking Jeremiah’s advice. The internal temptations to tell the king what he wants to hear must have been enormous yet Jeremiah will not cave. He remains true to himself and the Word the Lord gave him to speak.

I admire this quality of Jeremiah. His faithfulness to the Lord, irrespective of personal cost, is tremendous!

The Spirit whispers, “Bill, the same should be true of you…”

Pow! God’s Word this morning drives me to introspection. Am I a man of integrity? Do I sing different songs depending upon who my audience is? Am I true to God’s Word and God’s leading irrespective of personal cost?

How about you?...

Lord, to be a Jeremiah; this is my heart’s desire. But the human heart, my heart, is easily deceived and corrupted by original and personal sin. Cleanse my heart and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, so that I may be a man of faith, man of integrity and man of strength in times of plenty and want, smooth sailing and adversity.

O, God, I pray this with all the strength I have and I pray this in the name of Jesus, my Savior, Lord and God. Amen.

Wednesday, February 8: Jeremiah 37- Our often limited view.

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Jeremiah’s imprisonment really stinks. I mean, come on, he spoke faithfully what God had given him and this is the thanks he gets, imprisoned in an underground dungeon. Coyly, the text simply says he was imprisoned there a long time (16). It must have been horrible because Jeremiah eventually petitions the king, “But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there” (20). Jeremiah feared for his life… conditions were so horrible, he feared for his life.

His ensuing imprisonment was no picnic but at least he lived.

As I was envisioning the desperate nature of Jeremiah’s plight and realizing how woeful his life was, the understanding hit me that we have such a very limited view of life. We see and measure everything from an earthly perspective. Hardship, pain, imprisonment, etc., is something to be avoided and “Surely God wouldn’t want us to experience these things. After all, God only wants the best for us. Right?”

I am not so sure.

So many of the OT and NT saints showed their metal and faithfulness by enduring such things for God. The litany of faith-heroes whose lives were anything but cushy is long. More Bible heroes are on the list of ‘suffering for God’ than on the ‘it’s a wonderful earthly life serving God.’

I am wondering how we have missed this in the church today. Why don’t we talk about this? I am wondering why sacrifice for God’s sake isn’t in our (my) vocabulary. It is not in our Sunday School curricula and small group studies…

Lord, these thoughts frighten me. Are You preparing me for something? Often Your lessons are not merely mental exercises but preparations for action. Lord, I pray that no matter what You ask or require of me, I am up to Your task. Please endow me with Your Holy Spirit that I may hear Your voice and have Your power both to listen and execute all You ask of me. This I pray in the name of and for the sake of Jesus, my Savior and Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, February 7: Jeremiah 36- Something to think about.

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Some times it is the oddest or smallest details that set my mind into meditation mode. I had two such moments as I read today.

First, God gave every opportunity to repent and return. Verses 2-3 "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin." Another wake up call… God goes above and beyond in reaching out to Jerusalem and Judah. Time and again, God offers a way back and each time they ignore God and effectually respond, “No… I will not!”

My starting point for contemplation… “Am I listening to the voice of God, especially His invitation to repent and return after I have strayed? Am I…???”

My second mediation point was the concept of personal responsibility and sovereign action. Jeremiah dictates the scroll of God’s Words and sends His scribe Baruch to read them to the religious officials. Upon hearing the words and realizing that they must give them to the king, the officials said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don't let anyone know where you are (19). Then a few verses later when the king commanded his son to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah, the text simply says, But the LORD had hidden them (26).

People race to extremes when it comes to these issues. Some say God is sovereign, therefore He will do what He will do, so I really don’t have to worry or don’t have to do anything. Others cut God out of the equation and rest everything on human ingenuity. In the text I see the tension of these two positions, not explained per se, but described.

Baruch and Jeremiah took the initiative to hide. They knew the king would be upset and prepared for his response by hiding. And when the king goes to find them, the text simply says, LORD had hidden them.

Baruch and Jeremiah did the humanly responsible thing and hid… personal responsibility. God ensured that they were not found… sovereignty.

Scripture presents both… not either/or but both.

How does this play out in life? Well, I need to be responsible and then trust God in my endeavors. Contemplating this… there are so many arenas of application… personal finances, health, ministry endeavors.

I believe God has called me to ministry in Jos, Nigeria so I travel and teach each summer. Jos is not the safest city in the world, however, believing God has called me I go. I live wisely in missionary compounds. I watch what I eat and especially what I drink but ultimately I trust God for my protection and care. He is in control and if He bids me to go then as His servant I go…

Think about it …

Lord, thank you for these two ‘life-touches’ this morning in Your Word. You are constantly inviting people to come home. Oh, that they listen better than Israel in the days of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. And, Lord, as it comes to me, give me strength to be obedient, faithful and responsible to live to Your glory and honor. Amen.

Monday, February 6: Jeremiah 35- Community.

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An incredible story of obedience, the entire Recabite family followed their father’s command to the letter. I noticed something interesting in verse 6. But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. The entire clan determined not to drink wine.

There is strength in numbers. This was not one lone man or woman bucking the trend of society. It was a group, a clan, a family!

When Daniel resolved not to eat the king’s food, he did so with three other Hebrew friends.

There is a power, a strength, with community that is far greater than the strength of an individual or even an equal number of separate individuals. For millennia monks and sisters have lived in convents and monasteries, keeping vows of chastity, simplicity and poverty. The brotherhood and sisterhood gives individuals strength.

My musing today is more a wondering, wondering why the church isn’t such a community, helping one another live up to the call of the Lord? I think it is supposed to be. We are supposed to encourage one another, love one another, and bear with one another. The church, the faith community, is God’s gift to help one another live faithfully with the Lord.

Why then, is there so little difference between the people of the church and people of society when it comes to following and obeying the Lord?

I wonder…

Maybe we cannot leave our support to a generic group, i.e. the church? Maybe we need a group with in the larger group, i.e. a small group of friends and companions with whom we agree to be there for one another like the Recabites were for one another- one family within the family of the Hebrews.

I am not sure… I am still musing. But it makes me appreciate my small group of guys who meet regularly and encourage one another.

Lord, thank You for guys who will come along side of me and stand with me as I work to stand with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saturday, February 4: Jeremiah 34- Guidance.

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This entire chapter is God speaking to King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem. In this case God used Jeremiah as His prophet to Zedekiah.

What caught my eye was the fact that God spoke and directed Zedekiah. God gave him a promise about the days to come and God corrected sins the people had committed under Zedekiah’s watch. God was engaged in the life of His people.

I thought about my last sentence. God was engaged in the life of His people. The God revealed in the Bible is engaged in the life of His people. He cares about how they live and what they do. He watches over them (see Psalm 121) and looks out for them. He corrects them when they stray and encourages them when encouragement is needed.

The God of the Scriptures is not some distant, detached God! No, He is intimately connected with His people.

And God still is. God still speaks, through His Word, through the Spirit, through spiritual gifts bestowed upon the church (1Corinthians 12). God watches over his people and cares for His people…

I sat and marveled at the God I (we) serve, His might and power and the intimate relationship He longs to have with us…

God is good and His love endures for ever, His faithfulness to all generations.

Thank You, Lord, for caring about me. To most in the world I am unknown. To my country and my back I am a number, but to You, O Lord, I am known deeply and intimately. You know my name, the hairs on my head and You hold my days from beginning to end in Your hands.

I am safe and secure in You.

And so my heart sings Your praises… Alleluia. Amen.

Friday, February 3: Jeremiah 33- ALL.

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I was captured by God’s promise of restoration and forgiveness for Israel and Judah through Jeremiah. Verse 6-9 capture the sentiments and promises of God wonderfully. …I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.

The three letter word ALL stood out as I read these words. I will cleanse them from ALL the sin they have committed against me and will forgive ALL their sins of rebellion against me. All, every one, each and every one, every single one… that is a compelling statement and promise. God will wipe the slate perfectly clean… cleansing and forgiving all their sins.

And then even better news is that in the NT God extends that same promise to everyone who admits and confesses their sins to God.

In 1John 1:9 we read: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. There is that 3 letter word again… he [God] … will forgive us our sins and purify us from ALL unrighteousness.

I love it! We confess and God forgives everything and wipes the slate of our life clean.

Today’s reading invites me to sit with the Lord and confess, knowing that when I do, He forgives me totally and completely for ALL my sins… a pretty amazing promise and offer, if you ask me…

Oh, Lord God, thank You. I make my confession now. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. please forgive me for (fill in your sins ) …

Lord, I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friday, February 3: Jeremiah 33- ALL.

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And then even better news is that in the NT God extends that same promise to everyone who admits and confesses their sins to God.

I love it! We confess and God forgives everything and wipes the slate of our life clean.

Today’s reading invites me to sit with the Lord and confess, knowing that when I do, He forgives me totally and completely for ALL my sins… a pretty amazing promise and offer, if you ask me…

Oh, Lord God, thank You. I make my confession now. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. please forgive me for (fill in your sins ) …

Lord, I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thursday, February 2: Jeremiah 32- In God's hands.

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As I began to meditate on this chapter, a 60’s song popped into my mind and I began humming it. Then singing it as I typed in the lyrics…

He’s got the whole world in His hands,

He’s got the whole world in His hands.

He’s got you and me sister in His hands,

He’s got you and me sister in His hands…

This chapter reminded me that God does have my life (your life) in His hands. God is telling Jeremiah and Israel through Him that He has them in His hands. Also, that God will restore them to life in the land after their time of punishment in captivity in Babylon.

I mused on God having my life in His hands.

Clearly I have responsibility for my actions. Jeremiah was told to buy the piece of property from his cousin, and God expected him to do it. God was punishing Israel for faithless living. Yes, we are responsible for our actions.

But God also has a plan and a purpose. And in Israel’s case, God will restore them to the land.

I can’t say that I fully understand how both of these rest together. Yet I trust and believe both. This is what I refer to as my guitar string theology. Guitar strings are pegged at two points and it is the right tension between both pegs that allows the string to make the right note. Scripture often teaches what seems to be two points on an issue and it is keeping the right tension between the two that allows me (us) to sing the beautiful message of God.

And so I live with personal responsibility on the one hand and God has a plan and purpose on the other…

Lord Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit… I trust my life to Your hands… I trust and will follow to the best of my ability Your plan and purpose.

Thank You for saving me, for showing Yourself to me, for opening my eyes to Your Word and for planting a love for You in my heart and soul. I bless You and thank You and I will follow and be obedient to You all the days of my life. And Lord, when I fail at this, I beg Your forgiveness. In and through Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.

Wednesday, February 1: Jeremiah 31- Loved by God.

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My heart soars! what a blessing! What a gift! What an encouraging and uplifting chapter.

Loved by God… One of the first “words” I heard was the word ‘love’. Verse 3: The LORD says: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I soaked in that word. Israel, Judah, me, you… we are loved by God. Like a stain for wood, those words soaked into my life affecting me, changing me. God loves me. Wow!

Verses 10-11 He … will watch over his flock like a shepherd. For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. Israel, Judah, me, you… God will watch over us like a shepherd His sheep. God will care for us. And then the word ‘redeemed’, ‘purchased’, ‘brought from slavery to freedom’….more words and thoughts to soak in.

For me these first two soakings led to verse 12. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD-- the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Shouts of joy and rejoicing…

That’s what I feel compelled to do… my heart is light because I am loved, watched over, and redeemed. What else can I do, what better response is there than SHOUTS OF JOY and REJOICING in the Lord my God!...

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation. Oh my soul sings for He is my help and salvation! All you who hear, now to His temple drawer near for He is our help and salvation!

Praise the name of Jesus. Praise the name of Jesus. He’s my rock, He’s my fortress, He’s my deliverer, in Him will I trust….

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord my God…

Lord my heart sings… for You, my Lord, my God, my Savior… Alleluia. Amen!

Wednesday, February 1: Jeremiah 31- Loved by God.

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My heart soars! what a blessing! What a gift! What an encouraging and uplifting chapter.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation. Oh my soul sings for He is my help and salvation! All you who hear, now to His temple drawer near for He is our help and salvation!

Praise the name of Jesus. Praise the name of Jesus. He’s my rock, He’s my fortress, He’s my deliverer, in Him will I trust….

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord my God…

Lord my heart sings… for You, my Lord, my God, my Savior… Alleluia. Amen!

Tuesday, January 31: Jeremiah 30- Good news, bad news, incomprehensible news.

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God has not forgotten His covenant. Israel and Judah will be restored! Those words must have been like salve on a wound. The destruction, the exile, pain and dying and confusion of Nebuchadnezzar’s annihilation of Judah must have sent heads spinning. What is God up to? Why?...

Then comes this word of hope. Like the first crocuses popping through a snow sprinkled field, these were a sign that things will change. God will forgive and restore…

But the restoration of Israel and Judah signals destruction for their enemies and oppressors… bad news for some.

Life can be like that, what is good for some is not for others…

I mused as I read and then came the last verse and in particular the last sentence of the last verse. In days to come you will understand this (24b).

These words brought comfort and recognition... recognition that I don’t know everything and in fact some (many (?)) things of God I do not understand. Isaiah was right - God’s ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9). I don’t understand why some believe and others do not.I don’t understand why hurricanes typhoons and tsunamis happen.I don’t understand why God choose me or why God’s plan of salvation was that Jesus would die in my place. God’s ways are higher than mine!

I listened again to 24b, In days to come you will understand this. Some day I will understand. Alleluia. Some day my confusions and questions will be gone, answered by the Almighty.

Until that day, I accept by faith that God is in control, that He knows things I do not and all things are working toward His ends.

Augustine said (loosely translated) “The heart is wrestles until it finds its rest in Thee.” I find my rest in You, Lord God Almighty, in You.

Lord I have many questions and confusions, this is true. But by Your grace I also have faith… Faith in You, faith in Your ways, faith in Your absolute sovereignty, faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In this I do rest. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Tuesday, January 31: Jeremiah 30- Good news, bad news, incomprehensible news.

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Then comes this word of hope. Like the first crocuses popping through a snow sprinkled field, these were a sign that things will change. God will forgive and restore…

But the restoration of Israel and Judah signals destruction for their enemies and oppressors… bad news for some.

Life can be like that, what is good for some is not for others…

I mused as I read and then came the last verse and in particular the last sentence of the last verse. In days to come you will understand this (24b).

I listened again to 24b, In days to come you will understand this. Some day I will understand. Alleluia. Some day my confusions and questions will be gone, answered by the Almighty.

Until that day, I accept by faith that God is in control, that He knows things I do not and all things are working toward His ends.

Augustine said (loosely translated) “The heart is wrestles until it finds its rest in Thee.” I find my rest in You, Lord God Almighty, in You.

Monday, January 30: Jeremiah 29- Letters a lost art.

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Funny how God highlights unique things each morning I spend with Him and His Word. Today I found myself contemplating letter writing, something I do not do often or well. The chapter begins, This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (1). It was Jeremiah’s writing of the letter that stuck to me.

Letters can serve many purposes; ‘Dear John’ letters, legal letters, love letters, ‘what’s going on in life’ letters, and so on. Jeremiah writes a letter to encourage the exiles in Babylon.

By and large letter writing is a relic of the past. We email, text, Facebook and tweet others, maybe call. Few of us write letters. I suspect our culture has lost something. The world changes…

My thoughts were about the power of an encouraging word. Jeremiah’s letter must have set the exiles at ease. It didn’t remove the strangeness of the situation, but certainly knowing how to be faithful in exilic times must have eased the fears of those who believed Jeremiah to be God’s prophet. Apt words have incredible power. A simple word, no matter the medium of communication, can lift the down-hearted and propel the light-hearted to even greater heights. Such is the power of encouragement.

I flopped from Jeremiah’s day to mine and wondered, who could use a ‘pick-me-up’ word?

Whether I ultimately use email, text, Facebook, phone call or even, yes, a letter sent by snail-mail to convey my words, it is the words that have power to encourage…

Who might I encourage today? That’s my take-a-way from this wonderful chapter in God’s Word.

Another thought – isn’t it wonderful that God put His Word in writing? Another powerful aspect of the Written Word is that we can go back to it again and again to gain more insight and repeated encouragement… What a great and thoughtful God we serve.

Lord, thank You for Your Word and Your Word to me today. Show me who could use a note of encouragement, appreciation and love today. And as I write, may my simple words encourage just as Your Word has encouraged me today. In and through Jesus, the Word become flesh, I pray. Amen.

Monday, January 30: Jeremiah 29- Letters a lost art.

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Letters can serve many purposes; ‘Dear John’ letters, legal letters, love letters, ‘what’s going on in life’ letters, and so on. Jeremiah writes a letter to encourage the exiles in Babylon.

By and large letter writing is a relic of the past. We email, text, Facebook and tweet others, maybe call. Few of us write letters. I suspect our culture has lost something. The world changes…

I flopped from Jeremiah’s day to mine and wondered, who could use a ‘pick-me-up’ word?

Whether I ultimately use email, text, Facebook, phone call or even, yes, a letter sent by snail-mail to convey my words, it is the words that have power to encourage…

Who might I encourage today? That’s my take-a-way from this wonderful chapter in God’s Word.

Saturday, January 28: Jeremiah 28- Speaking the truth.

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It is one thing to stand up in a friendly crowd and declare the truth. It’s another to correct a publically miss-spoken word.

In one community where I served as pastor, the local churches hosted a 7-Words from the Cross service on Good Friday. Local pastors would share a 10-minute thought on one of Jesus’ statements as he hung on the cross. People from the town and various churches would attend all or part of the service community. One time when our church hosted the service and I was not present, one of the local speakers spoke something egregiously incorrect with regard to scripture and orthodox Christian faith. (Occasionally but not very often these services were used as a forum for something other than Good Friday thoughts.)

In my absence our elder, who was MC-ing the service, calmly walked to the mic and before he introduced the next element of the service, simply said something like this, “Thank you, sir, for your words. However, I would like to add that we, at this church, do not hold such a position. Instead we hold to the faith passed down through the apostles in the Scriptures which we believe to be the inspirited Word of God.”

In less than two minutes and without rancor or argument, our elder set before the worshippers the orthodox faith. I was exceedingly proud of our elder, his demeanor, integrity and faithfulness to the Lord.

Jeremiah had such an assignment. Hananiah publically prophesied a lie.Jeremiah publically corrected him to his face and in the hearing of all the people.

There are times when duty calls us to stand and be counted. To speak the truth and correct some error, always spoken in love. These times and callings are never easy and typically come with inherent risk. And they come to most of us. It might be in a family setting, work or community setting. Will you, will I speak appropriately for the Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Think about it…

Lord God, give me the courage to stand and the wisdom to speak when You need a voice to correct an error or speak the truth. May I be Your mouthpiece and may what I say and the demeanor in which I say it, bring You Honor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friday, January 27: Jeremiah 27- Counter-intuitive thinking.

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As I listened to God’s Word to Judah, I thought it must go against every thought or idea the leaders naturally have. Give in to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and live. Resist and die, resist and watch Jerusalem and the temple destroyed.

God’s way takes faith, belief that God is leading. God’s way takes obedience. God’s way does not allow Judah to trust in itself, its strength, cunning or whatever.

The way of faith is like that… it requires us to lay aside our ways and follow God’s ways. The author of the letter to the Hebrews but it like this. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). And from that statement the author of Hebrews takes us on a journey showing time and again Old Testament heroes believing and following God. Often they needed to set aside basic human wisdom to follow God… Noah building an ark, Abraham believing he would have a son, and so on.

Faith does not mean we turn off our minds. It means we seek the mind of Christ and when His direction is different than our natural wisdom or instincts, we follow God’s leading not ours.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Lord, give me the faith of Abraham and Noah and the heroes I read about in the Old and New Testaments. Help me to grow to be a man of faith, worthy of Your name. In and through Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen.

Friday, January 27: Jeremiah 27- Counter-intuitive thinking.

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God’s way takes faith, belief that God is leading. God’s way takes obedience. God’s way does not allow Judah to trust in itself, its strength, cunning or whatever.

Faith does not mean we turn off our minds. It means we seek the mind of Christ and when His direction is different than our natural wisdom or instincts, we follow God’s leading not ours.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Thursday, January 26: Jeremiah 26- One more chance.

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Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth'" (1-6)

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

With all the finality of judgment that God has recently spoken in the preceding chapters, I was totally surprised to read these words. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent…

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

God’s heart beats for Judah (God’s heart beats for us) and He holds out one more opportunity to turn and return to Him. That’s the God I have come to know, love and serve. To a thief dying on a cross, moments left before he is judged and sent to an eternity in hell, Jesus offers grace. And once Jesus’ grace is accepted, Jesus says to the dying thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

But there comes a day when God’s grace-offer expires. That is the day of judgment. If you do not listen to me and follow my law … then I will make … and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

There was a second thief dying on a cross. He, too, hung with Jesus but he refused to accept Jesus’ grace. Instead this second thief continued to heap insults on Jesus (Mt 27:44). He received no words of salvation. Sadly he died in his sin to face God’s judgment.

Judah in Jeremiah’s day chose not to accept God’s grace-appeal to turn and return. Many died and the rest went into captivity in Babylon.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace but there comes a day!

Have you accepted God’s offer of grace…???

Oh, Lord, thank You for grace. I pray for those who have not accepted it. I pray that they come to their senses and turn or return to You through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thursday, January 26: Jeremiah 26- One more chance.

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Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

Judah in Jeremiah’s day chose not to accept God’s grace-appeal to turn and return. Many died and the rest went into captivity in Babylon.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace but there comes a day!

Have you accepted God’s offer of grace…???

Oh, Lord, thank You for grace. I pray for those who have not accepted it. I pray that they come to their senses and turn or return to You through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Wednesday, January 25: Jeremiah 25- A few brief stops.

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My wife and I have driven Blue Ridge Parkway through Shenandoah National Park and portions of the Pacific Coast Highway in CA. Spectacular, both are incredible drives, the kind where you stop multiple times and take in views and maybe snap some photos…

Today’s reading was like that for me. There were a number of places where I paused to ponder a thought, a statement, something. I hope you find this morning drive through chapter 25 enlivening…

Verse 3: For twenty-three years … the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. Twenty-three years! I thought about all those years of hard service, unfruitful ministry (no one listened) and still Jeremiah was faithful to God never wavering from his calling… That thought was worth the stop!

Verse 7: "But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves." God gave ample opportunity for people to turn or return to Him. They refused. As I stood here and gazed into the text, I thought, “At the end of the day, we are responsible for our lives and what we do or don’t do with them…” You have brought harm to yourselves, says the Lord.

Verse 9: my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon…. My servant, Nebuchadnezzar? Certainly this pagan king did not believe in Yahweh. Then it hit me. Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant because God was using him to be the instrument of God’s justice against Judah. I pondered the absolute sovereignty of the Lord who can use even pagan kings to do His bidding! Wow, we serve an amazing God!

Verse 12: But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever. God’s people get 70-years, Babylon desolate forever. It struck me this was the difference between discipline of His people and destruction of those who will not revere God as God. This opened many more vistas of contemplation. Too many to write here…

And so I spent a few minutes in many places. God speaking with and to me at each stop.

Lord, thank You for today’s journey. Varied and full. Lord, I never cease to wonder at Your greatness and Your variety. Each day with You is something new…a treasure, a delight and sometimes, often times, a correction.

Praise be to You, my Lord and my God! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Tuesday, January 24: Jeremiah 24- A prayer for those who have strayed.

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My heart latched on to the imagery of good figs interpreted in verses 4-7: Then the word of the LORD came to me: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

God keeps His word. His people are His people. Yes, justice necessitates that judgment be rendered. Israel has strayed so far from the Lord that they don’t know where ‘home is.’ But even in judgment God keeps His covenant. Listen to the promise God makes to those bound to Babylon. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

That is my prayer for all who stray… that God will bring them back, build them up, plant them [in the faith] and give them a heart to know the Lord.

There is a prayer for anyone who has a loved one or friend who has drifted from the Lord. Pray that God will bring them back, build them up, plant them [in the faith] and give them a heart to know Him and enjoy Him forever.

Oh, Lord, this morning we pray for fill in names of those you know. They have drifted from You. Lord, please bring them back to You, build them up, plant them in You and give them a heart to know You, Lord.

This is my cry and prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Monday, January 23: Jeremiah 23- Be careful how you live.

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Verse 23-24: "Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.

While Jeremiah was speaking God’s Words against the religious leaders –namely the prophets- the above two verses grabbed my attention. I was reminded of God’s absolute sovereignty. No one can fool God or hide from God or do things that God does not see. No one, and that includes you and me. The prophets of Jeremiah’s day were living lies, but God knew.

As I sat and stared at these verses and spent my devotions, these words spoke to me. My life, 24/7/365 is known to God. I might be able to fool others, even fool myself, but I can never dupe or fool God. God knows who I am, what I think, what I say and do! God knows. And some day I will stand before God and give an account… an account that will include every careless word I have spoken (Matthew 12:36).

The Spirit’s reminder… “Be careful how you live…!!!”

Lord, as I sit today the passage reminds me how great a blessing the gift of forgiveness and mercy and atonement has been given in and through Jesus Christ. Thank You, Jesus, for Your life, death on the cross and resurrection. You have saved me and I rejoice…! Praise You. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Saturday, January 21: Jeremiah 22- How your life foundation?.

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Josiah was a good and faithful king, unfortunately his sons didn’t follow in his ways. Their evil ways led Jerusalem and Judah to destruction by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Today’s chapter is God’s judgment of Josiah’s sons. (I have attached a summary of the OT Kings to provide an overview of the men who ruled over Israel.)

In the midst of these judgments God spoke a word to Shallum which sparked my meditation for this morning. Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor (13).

Through this verse it felt like God was saying to me Woe to him who builds his life by unrighteousness, who makes his living by injustice.

This fall inaugurated the 2012 presidential race, particularly among Republicans seeking the party’s nomination. It has been a game of attrition. A number of the would-be front runners were knocked out of the race because life issues and integrity issues surfaced. Woe to him who builds his life by unrighteousness.

The last few years have seen too many monetary meltdowns often due to illicit, imprudent or down right illegal practices. Woe to him who makes his living by injustice. The Word from the Lord gives me pause to evaluate my life and my foundation…

Integrity or unrighteousness…?

Injustice or fairness…?

Shady business dealings or honesty…?

Selfishness or genuine care for those in need…?

As I set my course for 2012, there is much to evaluate and ponder here…

Oh, Lord, may my life and my dealings –large and small- be honorable before You who sees all things. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friday, January 20: Jeremiah 21- Are you walking with the Lord?.

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I hear it from many people, “God is a God of love. He won’t judge anyone. Everyone gets to heaven…” We so desperately want to believe everything turns out well in the end for everyone. We like happy endings. And of course we want to believe that everything will be okay for us and our loved ones, no matter how they have lived or what their mouths have professed during their lives.

Today’s reading should put an end to that kind of thinking ….

Asked by the king if Jerusalem will survive the impending attack of Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah responds on behalf of the Lord, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. I will strike down those who live in this city--both men and animals--and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion' (4-7).

The essence of God’s response is “No, Zedekiah, I am going to destroy Jerusalem. Jerusalem will not receive my mercy. Instead this is the time for my judgment.”

As hard as it is to read these words and think about what they mean, they give me pause because they show there will come a time when God will judge the sins and wrongs and evils of our lives.

Before you close your time with the Word, spend a few minutes assessing your life. Are you walking with God or not? There will come a day when you and I will stand before the Lord God Almighty and answer to Him. Think about it…

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, save me from the day of God’s wrath. Cover me in your righteousness so that I will live. Help me to proclaim Your name all the days of my life so that others will know that faith in You is the way of salvation. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Thursday, January 19: Jeremiah 20- Ticked at God.

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Interesting, interesting thought I. “This is God’s Word?” came a second thought. Much of this chapter is a complaint, a whine from Jeremiah, against the Lord. Why? Because what God has compelled him to do has brought hardship and insult. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long (8).

When it comes to ministry callings Jeremiah drew the short end of the stick. And the pain and hardship that he is encountering as he lives faithfully and discharges the duties God has laid upon him have him at a breaking point. And so he wails, and cries out against the Lord… O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me (7).

I find it intriguing that Jeremiah vents, and yet this time God does not respond. God remains quiet. I peeked at the next chapter; Jeremiah is back living faithfully….

Hmm, thoughts and emotions swirl. Some of my observations and thoughts:

1- Sometimes the call and life God has for us is filled with pain and hardship. Just because we are living in the center of God’s will does not mean life will be swell. This is a difficult concept for me and many Americans who are surrounded by and strive for prosperity…

2- I am reminded that the potter chooses the use and function of the clay pot… not the clay itself.

3- Venting to/at God is apparently okay when done appropriately. Jeremiah does not vent publically. He didn’t bring reproach on God’s name. But in his ‘bedroom’ he cried out honestly. Jeremiah is not hiding from God. He is honest and real with the Lord.

4- God listened but didn’t respond. Sometimes no response is necessary. One thing my wife has taught me is that many times what she needs is a listening ear, not a response or my attempts to help. Just listen sincerely. God apparently did that…

Lord Jeremiah’s difficulties and pain are rich in meaning for me today. Thank You, Lord, for including Jeremiah’s complaint in Your Word. As for Your Word, it is powerful and helpful. Bless You, Lord God, for Your Word. Amen.

Wednesday, January 18: Jeremiah 19- Sacrifices.

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Having had the opportunity to stand in Jerusalem and walk from the Temple Mount (the location of the Temple of Jeremiah’s day) down into the Hinnom Valley (where the sacrifices to Baal and the Tophets were offered), it struck me how close these two locations are to one another. Only a couple of minutes walk from one to the other…

I pictured the juxtaposition of these two sacrifices… on the Mount they sacrificed to Yahweh and in the valley a few minutes away they sacrificed to Baal. This became, for me, a picture of our two natures… on the one hand we serve the Lord and yet on the other, we have these pockets of sinfulness and selfishness.

Juxtaposed, sanctified, and sinful…

Oh Lord, I need Your help and mercy and grace. Help to overcome this pockets of sin in my life. Mercy for the sins I commit regularly and grace to move on and to grow and be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

Praise be to You, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Tuesday, January 17: Jeremiah 18- The Potter's House.

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I am captivated by the image of the potter working the clay. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him (1-4).

Years ago a potter came to our church and preached while he turned a pot. He explained the process and demonstrated. It was a powerful moment for me and for most of us. After reading this chapter I went to ‘YouTube’ to find a potter/pottery video. I found this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OJyPjSn5Ow). It runs about 6-7 minutes, no talking only soft background music while a potter throws a bowl. If you can, take the time to watch it…

Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it (5-10).

As I watched the video I thought the clay is me… the firm hands of the Lord are shaping me (you). He makes what He chooses… a pot, an urn, a cup… tableware, cookware, a urinal or a washbasin. The potter chooses, not the clay. And although this video didn’t demonstrate it, at any point in the process the potter can say, “I don’t care for what it is becoming”, so he presses the clay down to start over.

I sat and pondered me being formed in God’s hands, a video rolled in my mind…

Lord, thank You for forming me… whatever You make with me Lord is Your choice.

Lord, if I might ask one thing… make me useful. Make me to be something used, something needed to be helpful in building Your kingdom, Lord. I would rather be used, dirtied, worn, chipped, even eventually broken for Your kingdom’s sake than to be a curio in a cabinet, protected and safe but never handled and used.

Use me, Lord… use me.

Through Jesus my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Monday, January 16: Jeremiah 17- Personal Responsibility.

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A few verses gave me pause to ponder. There was verse 4:

Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever."

And verse 9:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Another was verse 10:

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

I could only write on one, since the words that jarred me most are the opening words of verse 4: Through your own fault you will lose…. The idea of personal responsibility is not a given these days. It seems everyone is attempting to find someone else to blame for almost everything. In traffic accidents it always seems to be “the other guy’s fault.” Doctors pay thousands and thousands for malpractice insurance. One miss-diagnosis and patients seek huge settlements. In my town, people were sledding down a town owned hill into a park. They had done it for years. That is until one dad with his son ran into the baseball field backstop, which had always been there at the bottom of the hill! He sued the town and won a 6 or 7 figure settlement for a broken leg and lost wages. I think he might have been a doctor. I guess he is not responsible for steering properly or maybe he should have moved 50 feet to the right so the backstop wasn’t in his path?

I could go on…

What I hear in this verse is that there will be none of this with the Lord. We will have to take responsibility for our lives and what we do with them, with respect to our walk and relationship with the Lord. God will hold us personally accountable for our lives and faith…

Hmmm… something to think about…

Lord, help me…

Saturday, January 14: Jeremiah 16- .

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Are there worse words to hear than what the Lord said to Jeremiah regarding Judah? I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people (5). When my eyes lit on this sentence, I stopped reading for a moment, stunned by the weight of these words! I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people. Withdrawn blessing and love… my heart stopped. I cannot imagine a worse condition!?!

Oh, God, may it never be so in my life. May it never be so…

What grievous action would cause the Lord to do such a thing to His beloved covenant community? God anticipated people asking. "When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?' then say to them, 'It is because your fathers forsook me,' declares the LORD, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me. So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor' (10-13). Generational rejection of the Lord…

But this is not God’s last Word. Immediately after the above, God offers hope… "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers (14-15).

God cannot and will not withdraw from His people forever. Days are coming," declares the LORD… My take-a-ways for today,

1) If I remain faithful, I will not need to feel the fury of God’s withdrawal…

2) Even when God punishes me for my sinfulness, days are coming when He will restore His hand of favor and blessing upon me.

Oh, Lord, I bow to You, my Lord and my God. I stand in awe that You have revealed Yourself to me and I confess my allegiance to You now and forever. I love and serve You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

Friday, January 13: Jeremiah 15- A conversation with God.

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Reading this chapter, it became clear that Jeremiah and the Lord were having a conversation about Jeremiah’s situation and the people to which he was called. Jeremiah complained, God listened and answered, Jeremiah responds, and then so does God.

It struck me… Jeremiah and God were having a conversation… People in the church talk about having a relationship with God and here we see evidence of one. The Almighty didn’t dispense with Jeremiah because he was merely a creature or because he complained about what God was doing to him. No, the Lord engaged Jeremiah. They dialogued.

Too often we think we have to be perfect before God. However, Jeremiah complained and he whined. I hate it when my kids whine. There is no sense in the text that God ‘approved’ of it. God eventually called Jeremiah to repent. But God didn’t dismiss Jeremiah because he spiraled into self pity either. God allowed Jeremiah to speak his peace as he could. God received it and dialoged with Jeremiah, eventually calling Jeremiah to his senses. So God didn’t approve but God allowed Jeremiah to work it through and God never stopped loving him in the process. That’s RELATIONSHIP!

I realized as I thought this through that the Lord offers the same to you and me. He offers us a relationship. We don’t have to be perfect (we can’t and won’t be!). God simply invites me to be real and honest. God can handle my foolishness and my sinfulness and my whininess and selfishness. As I am honest with God about the things in my life, God can move me –through love- to better places, more faith-filled places in my life.

Wow, that’s wonderful! God loves me and accepts me for who I am…

That’s a muse to ponder more throughout today.

Thank You, Lord God Almighty, for inviting me into a RELATIONSHIP with You. Thank you for inviting me to be real in that relationship. I don’t have to be a plastic “Christian” who lives as if I deny feelings and emotions as I live with You. No, You invite me to be honest. Thank You!

(Take some time to be honed with God right now…)

I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Thursday, January 12: Jeremiah 14- Are you listening.

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We think of drought as a weather phenomenon, but for Israel and Judah rain was directly tied to their covenant with the Lord. Lush fertile soil fills parts of Israel, and yet there is no mighty river to feed these crops. The Jordan is actually a small river. Israel is dependant upon rain for crops to grow. God promised, as part of His covenant with them when He brought them into the land, that if they were faithful He would provide the rain they needed. Deuteronomy 11:13-14 reads: So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul-- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. So for Israel, drought was not merely a weather phenomenon, it was God speaking to them. Drought equaled God’s discipline.

This is important background for reading today’s chapter. A severe drought, like they are experiencing, carried God’s Word of judgment. As God said about them in verse 10, "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."

We do not have a covenant with God like ancient Israel did. We cannot say, “Oh, my a drought! What have we done to displease God?” But we have other ways to know what God expects of us. First and foremost we have the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. Also, God has given to all His people who follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit who is God with us, the comforter and counselor and empowerer of God’s people.

It is clear that Judah did not pay attention to God’s speaking to them through the drought. The Spirit’s whisper to me concerns paying attention, too. Am I (are you) paying attention to God’s Word and the nudges of the Holy Spirit or are we disregarding God’s communications to us like Judah did? Good question…

Lord, as I move through today, please help me to listen and pay attention to Your leadings and guidings. Help me to honor and live true to Your Word… In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wednesday, January 11: Jeremiah 13- The danger or pride.

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I first noticed ‘the word’ in verse 9. Something caused it to be highlighted as I read that verse, maybe because it appeared twice in one verse. The word popped up again in verse 17. The word is ‘PRIDE.’

I was reminded of the Proverb 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Unchecked pride can be a real spiritual problem.

Apparently pride was Judah’s problem. This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem (9). Reading this chapter and remembering the proceeding ones, it seems that Judah had grown pride-full of her place with the Lord. Even though she was living faithlessly, she believed that the Lord would not let harm come to her. As God had protected her in years past, like when Assyria attacked under Hezekiah, God would protect her now.

Writing this it seems to make no sense but I have seen it. People become so ‘satisfied’ with a skill or ability or a relationship that they assume it means they are impervious to problems. Drivers become so secure in their ‘good driving’ ability that they grow careless and the next thing you know boom (!) an accident.

I see it in churches where people assume, ‘Hey I’m a member. I professed Christ x-years ago’. And yet their present living reflects no relationship with the Lord. I’ve seen people like this drift from regular worship. Membership on a roll is no a guarantee of eternal security. Only a living relationship with Jesus Christ and the life of faith that results, is.

Pride was a significant part of Judah’s fall…

And so the Spirit whispers to me, “Bill, how’s your pride? Is it unchecked, growing too much? Remember, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Lord, help me keep my pride in check… in and through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Tuesday, January 10: Jeremiah 12- Is there mercy with God?.

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Is there no mercy with God?

Day after day God’s anger has raged against Judah. Would God abandon His people forever? That thought haunted me. If I sin and deserve punishment will God’s rightful discipline last for ever?

Like a refreshing stream of cool water during a long arduous hike, the closing words of today’s chapter refreshed my soul.

This is what the LORD says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives'--even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal--then they will be established among my people. But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it," declares the LORD (14-17).

To both Judah and her false-god following neighbors God says, after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back … And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, …then they will be established among my people.

There is mercy with God, if we, if anyone, turns to Him.

Turning to God brings mercy… that’s what I hear. Repenting and calling out to the Lord opens flood gates of compassion. Ahhh, my heart rejoices.

John, in his first letter in the NT, says this: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

Turn or return to God and find mercy…

Confess your sins to the Lord and find forgiveness…

Praise God from whom all blessings flow… Praise You Father, Son and Holy Spirit because Your love endures forever and Your mercy is without end. Praise You because You always welcome home the prodigal daughters and sons. Praise You for Jesus and His gift of grace and pardon and righteousness… when we turn to Him in faith. Ahh, my heart is refreshed this morning. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Monday, January 9: Jeremiah 11-Personal Cost.

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Throughout the last chapters I have wondered about Jeremiah and the emotional cost he experienced having to bring word of judgment after word of judgment. I could imagine that a call and task like that would bring heavy emotional toll. What I never considered was death threats and plots against his life. Toward the end of today’s reading, God reveals to Jeremiah that his life was in danger…

Because the LORD revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause (18-20).

Reading this, I was struck by the tremendous toll on his life that obedience to God’s call required!

I want to follow the Lord, but I don’t really want it to be hard. I want people to respect me and like me but that is not always the case, and I live in the United States. I have friends serving Jesus around the world where cultures are hostile to Jesus and Christians and their lives are even in danger.

All of this musing reminds me that there are costs to following Jesus and doing what God would have us to do.

My life is not Jeremiah’s. God has not asked me to speak words of judgment to my nation. To the best of my knowledge, my life is not in danger but costs abound. I know people think that my beliefs are foolish. I carry strains with some in my denomination over which I may have to make certain stands that may not be understood or accepted and may cost. Following Jesus costs…

Lord, help me stand for You no matter the cost. This is my prayer today and every day. Lord, help me be faithful. I cannot do it on my own, help me be faithful. In Jesus’ name and for the honor of Your name, I pray. Amen.

Saturday, January 7: Jeremiah 10- The Maker of heaven and earth.

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The Apostles’ Creed begins, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth… For centuries followers of Jesus have affirmed this belief. Simple in language, foundational in content.

In this morning’s text God stakes His supremacy on the fact that He, God –the God of the Hebrews (and Christians), the Lord of hosts, the Lord Almighty, Yahweh, Jehovah- is the Maker of heaven and earth.

"Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'"

But God made the earth by his power;

he founded the world by his wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;

he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightning with the rain

and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

His images are a fraud;

they have no breath in them.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

when their judgment comes, they will perish.

He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,

for he is the Maker of all things,

including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance—

the LORD Almighty is his name. (11-16)

I settled in and meditated on the Lord as Creator. It truly is powerful and foundational.

The God who has called me, whom I serve and love, is the Maker, Creator of heaven and earth… all that is visible and invisible.

Why would I want to serve any lesser being/person/thing? Whom else would I want to serve?

Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, all that is seen and unseen, I gratefully and unreservedly serve You. Thank You for the privilege of knowing and serving You. I pledge myself to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Friday, January 6: Jeremiah 9-A golden nugget.

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Reading chapter after chapter of the depravity of Judah exhausts me. As I read today, I wondered, are we any different today? Is the church any more faithful than Judah was? A sad thought. A painful wondering. Sadly most statistical polls show little or no difference between Christians and the general world population in things like divorce rate, pornography use, etc.

As I read I mused about such things…

Then as the chapter drew to a close I spied a golden nugget… words that could carry me today. Verses 23-24 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

As I engage this new year God has given me a simple gauge by which I can measure and evaluate my life: let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.

I can focus on knowing and understanding the Lord God. I can model my life on the three characteristics He delights in: kindness, justice, righteousness.

Kindness… treating people well, nicely, politely.

Justice… caring for and speaking up for those who have no voice in society; taking on abuses and excesses of society.

Righteousness… right and proper living in light of God and His Word.

Some practical nuggets for living… Thank You, Lord.

Lord, I have my marching orders… kindness, justice, righteousness… not easy, but a worthy goal for one who wants to follow You faithfully. Bless you, Lord God. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

Thursday, January 5: Jeremiah 8-Self-examination.

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I find it difficult reading God’s anger day after day but that is what the text brings and all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2Tim 3:16).

As I listened to and pondered the text after reading the whole of the chapter, verse 6 seemed to arrest my attention. God speaking, I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.

This verse conveys the essence of sin: Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle, as well as the nature of ongoing rebellion, No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?"

Sin is doing my own thing as opposed to God’s. Continued rebellion results because I don’t examine my life and therefore I don’t recognize my wickedness. The result is that I continue to live in the ‘bliss’ of my sin-filled ways.

This reminds me of the importance of truthful, honest self-examination…

Oh God, walk with me as I examine my life. Show me where I am rebellious, unfaithful and in need of change and transformation. Please, Lord, help me to be honest with myself… so that I can be honest before You….

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

Saturday, December 31: Jeremiah 4- A sad day.

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This is a sobering chapter to read to close out 2011. It is a word about impending judgment. Judah’s life of sin and rebellion against the Lord is coming due. The prospects are not good, and yet God holds out one last call to repentance. One final opportunity to return to the Lord before the fury of the Lord is turned loose.

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done-- burn with no one to quench it (4).

There is an honesty and soberness in these words that are not pleasant but are true. As I face the closing of 2011 and stand at the dawn of 2012, my sense is that this same type of soberness and honesty is a smart posture for me to take as I look over my life. I need to take a few minutes today and tomorrow to examine my life lived and my trajectory moving forward.

I don’t think I am in the desperate ‘last chance’ position that Judah is in… and yet I must be vigilant to keep my life headed toward God. It is all too easy to veer off to the right or left. Judah at one point was walking with the Lord and then she veered away from God. She dabbled here and there with foreign gods. Today’s final call comes because she refused to humble herself earlier.

Spending some time in sober, honest evaluation of last year and the spiritual trajectory of my life as I head into 2012….. will God’s grace allow me to avoid Judah’s fate?

Time for me to pray and talk with the Lord…

Father, Son and Holy Spirit… how am I doing? Please show me my areas of weakness and sin that I may correct my ways and run after You.

Father, son and Holy Spirit, show me the ways I have grown, that I may rejoice as a disciple who is learning and maturing as I follow my rabbi.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as I look to 2012, I offer that year to You. Lead me and guide me where You will. Use me to proclaim the name of Jesus near and far. I pray that my life will point people to You and will bring honor and glory to Your name. That Your kingdom will increase through my labors as I follow Your will and way in 2011. In Jesus’ name and through the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Monday, January 2: Jeremiah 5-Painting a sad picture.

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Funny how we view other lives, often with rose colored glasses. I have lived in many different kinds of communities; farming, rural, blue color, middle management types, suburbs, wealthy suburbs, northern cities, southern-type cities, New England and middle America. It has been delightful. Every stop a joy, however, every stop with its difficulties.

One thing I find interesting is how people in one area view ‘others.’ For example, I know people who envy business types who get to travel the world on business trips. It does sound glamorous jetting the world and having a passport filled with numerous national entry stamps. Glamorous until you talk to the people who have to do all the business travel. As one put it recently, “same hotels, same business dinners, rarely ever sightseeing, being away from family, jetlag… it is drudgery.”

Until we walk in someone else’s shoes, we honestly cannot say what ‘their’ life is like.

One thing, however, is true; universally humanity is unfaithful to God’s design and ways. Jeremiah opens with an incredible indictment of Israel and Judah. Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city (1).

Looking for one honest person… ONE and God would spare the city. But it didn’t happen. There was not one! Verse 11 sums things up: … The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD. It is easy to say “Oh, that’s them”… and miss the fact that it is also me/us. Humanity of all generations and locations is scared and utterly unfaithful.

So in the time of Jeremiah, God said, “Enough, time has come to reap what you have sown, I will send a country to punish you…”

I cannot say when, only God sees the grand calendar, but I can say that God will judge us all for our unfaithfulness…

This reading today takes me to confession. How about you?

Search me and know my heart, see the wickedness with in me and purge my sin from me. Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let the bones you have crushed rejoice…

Then lift me, O Lord, that my life might praise and exalt You, my redeemer and my God. Amen!

Tuesday, January 3: Jeremiah 6- The pursuit of .

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I want the easy life. I want good health, a secure and decent paying job, a life free from tyranny. I want my kids to have a better life than mine. I want sun on my vacations and a retirement that is filled with no stress and lots of play. I want…

I don’t think I am alone. The US Constitution guarantees the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I know it reads ‘pursuit of happiness’, but what people really want is happiness, the pursuit part can be difficult. We want happiness, guaranteed and handed to us on the proverbial platter. And happiness is the good life, right?

I am musing about all of this because Jeremiah, one of the greats of the OT, got none of this. God may have set him aside from birth, but his call was a hard one. The words he was given to speak on behalf of God are blacker than black, filled with doom and gloom. He gets to tell the people that God is fed up with them and judgment is coming! And he reaps the reward of disrespect and hardship because of what he is called to say.

As near as we can tell, Jeremiah’s life was filled with hardship and heartache. How can this be? He is doing exactly what God wants. He is faithful to the Lord.

Jeremiah’s life was not about “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;” instead he gave his life to the pursuit of ‘faithfulness to the Lord.’ In earthly terms, his return on investment might not have stacked up but eternally he received an exponential return…

Thinking about Jeremiah, I am sensing a need to refocus my life…

Anyone willing to add “the pursuit of faithfulness to the Lord” to their New Year’s resolutions?

Oh God, I am willing… Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to make the pursuit of faithfulness to You my priority for this year and the remainder of my life. Amen.

Wednesday, January 4: Jeremiah 7-4 Faithful Actions...

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It is easily evident that Jeremiah has been sent to offer a final call of repentance to Judah. Sin has grown deep into Judah’s life. God’s decision is cast.. He will judge Judah, as He did Israel, unless they repent and turn back. This is their last chance to repent…

I went back and re-read Jeremiah’s assignment in verse 2-8: Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: "'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

I found myself drawn to verse 5: If you really change your ways… It sounds to me like God is fed up with play-acting, pretend changes, Judah saying she will change, maybe offering some ‘cosmetic’ change but not really changing!

And how will the change be evident? The answer unfolds in 5-8:

· Deal with others justly

· Stop oppressing the alien, fatherless or widow, people with little or no rights & standing in society

· Stop shedding innocent blood, murder & the godless human sacrifice of the Topheth

· Stop worshipping other gods and calling out to them when in distress, etc.

I sat and pondered these four actions. They are concrete actions that fulfill heart of the Law to love God with heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others as ourselves.

Lord,do I love You and others in concrete ways? I asked myself some questions built on those four actions.

· Do I deal justly with others or do I show favoritism? Do I let people skate because I am too lazy or uninterested to speak up?

· Do I seek justice for people with little or no rights in my society… the alien (even illegals), the unborn, widows and orphans and single parent households? Do I?

· I may not be shedding innocent blood with my hands but am I allowing it through my silence? The unborn, prisoners at Gitmo, imbalance with regard to the death penalty, collateral damage of war, allowing people to go hungry, especially children, in my country or others???

· Do I worship gods of money, success, pleasure, expensive toys… rather than the Lord? Do I trust the market and my portfolio more than the Lord for my future?

These are really tough questions. It is painful to write them and think about them. Painful because with regard to many, I have been comfortable in my ignorance –not my problem. Is my ignorance and silence equal to complicity???

Oh God, forgive me… forgive me for not caring, not caring to do anything. God, I cannot take on all the worlds’ ills. Some of these grow in arenas of life in which I have no experience or influence. Release me from any false guilt, Lord. But at the same time, Lord, in arenas in which I can be a voice for justice, push me and prod me to speak for You and those who are treated unjustly.

Lord, may my life really be lived for You. Through Jesus, my Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

A Note on Topheth:

Topheth is child sacrifice. According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia etymology uncertain; the most probable is its connection with a root meaning "burning" …: The references are to such a place: "They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire" (Jeremiah 7:31). On account of this abomination Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom should be called "The valley of Slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place to bury," the Revised Version margin "because there shall be no place else" (Jeremiah 7:32).

A professor of mine excavated Topheths in a valley filled with urns. In each urn was the chard remains of children that were apparently sacrificed to Baal or Molech to curry some favor from the god.

Friday, December 30: Jeremiah 3- Watch your example

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In verses 6-10 God spoke of Israel’s (the northern kingdom) unfaithfulness and how Judah (the southern kingdom) watched and then committed similar sins and adulteries. Two times, in fact, God references Israel’s example impacting Judah. Both times it was a negative impact. Judah watched Israel sin and followed suit.

I mused about one’s example. It seems so easy, so natural, so human, to transfer negative, God-dishonoring qualities to others… my children and those close to me in particular. I sit here under the weight of my sin, realizing that in addition to dirtying my life, it has touched and influenced others negatively as well.

God, I don’t understand why it seems so easy to influence someone negatively and so hard to influence them for good. That doesn’t seem fair?!

And as I thought about this I saw again the depravity of the human heart. We are (I am) sin-filled and corrupt…

Lord God, the only answer is the atoning work of Jesus and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Only then can my sins be forgiven and I can have the strength and ability to live for You, O God.

Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. Holy Spirit, fill me, use me, transform me to be more and more like Jesus every passing day of my life…

To You –Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be the honor and the glory for ever and ever. Amen

Thursday, December 29: Jeremiah 2- Are you walking with the Lord

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A scathing rebuke of Israel, that’s chapter two. From opening to closing, Chapter two is God’s indictment against Israel. They have run after other gods. There is not one positive word spoken to Israel in this chapter. Not one!

As 2011 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the year past and thinking about the year ahead. God’s rebuke of Israel causes me to review my life foundations. I have not run after other gods… as least as completely and recklessly as Israel. But I have dallied. There are chinks in my faithfulness and areas of my life where I have not surrendered , where I listen to and follow other voices than the Lord.

My food for thought today… I don’t want to become an Israel, faithless and pursuing other gods. Self-examination and confession are my only defense…

Lord, if there be any wickedness in me, search it out and destroy it. Discipline me as needed so that my life might shine for You, my life might point to You, my words sing of You.

I pray this in the name of the One who rescued me and who ransomed me with His own blood…. Jesus, the king of glory. In His name powered by the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Wednesday, December 28: Jeremiah 1 -Before you were born.

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I found myself attracted to Jeremiah’s call, simply stated in two verses.

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (4-5)

I sat pondering those words…

God knew (‘knew’ carries the idea of choosing, calling, setting apart) Jeremiah before. That statement takes a bit of effort to get one’s head around. Jeremiah was known, chosen, called, set apart before he was even formed in the womb. I was known, ‘chosen’, before I was formed in the womb. You were known… before you were formed in the womb. Wow! I wish I could say that I fully understand that but it stretches my thoughts. I can and do affirm it. I believe it because it is in God’s Word, but it stretches me.

Oh, the glory of God, the wonder of God as Creator…

Jeremiah’s call goes on to say, before you were born I set you apart. My mind is stretched again.

Before he was born, breathed a breath, said a word, thought a thought, God had set him apart for his great calling!

I flash from Jeremiah to myself. The major part of me relishes that my life is totally in God’s hands. His sovereignty controls my day and the day. Yet, there is a small part of me that says, what about ‘free will’? Do I have a choice in all this? And even if I don’t personalize this to myself, the same thoughts circle regarding Jeremiah. Did he have a choice in this, what about his ‘free will’ and so on?

For the umpteenth time, I find myself bowing to and submitting to God’s absolute sovereignty. Though I don’t fully comprehend it and even though it wrecks havoc with some of my thinking about free will and choices and … I say, ‘Alleluia the Lord reigns’. He is God and I am not! And I choose to submit to His will and His way and His calling in my life.

Great and mighty is the Lord, He formed me and I am His. I am a sheep of His pasture. Lord, I will listen for Your voice and I will follow where You lead. I will go where You send me and do what You have for me to do. I bow and surrender to Your will and I do so out of love for You and wonder at Your mighty name. In and through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Saturday, December 24: Matthew 26- Why Jesus came.

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My thoughts are focused on Christmas… the sights, the sounds, the smells… decorations & carols. Tonight we will celebrate our Christmas Eve service and tomorrow, since it is Sunday, we will hold Christmas morning worship. Christmas, Jesus’ birth, the Incarnation, dominate my thoughts. So it was odd to sit this morning and read about the end of Jesus’ earthly story.

It was odd, but it was also rich, rich because it reminded me why Jesus was born, why He became human. He did so to save you and me and all who believe!

Reading the institution of the Lord’s Supper hit me the hardest. Matthew records, While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom (26-29)."

Jesus gave His body and His blood for me and my salvation. Jesus gave His body and His blood –His life- for you and your salvation. He came to die to pay for the penalty of my sin.

That cute newborn we will remember in worship tonight and tomorrow grew to be a man who had a purpose… to save people by offering His life as a ransom for theirs.

Wow! that makes Christmas even richer

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

(Refrain:) Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power, Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain

Monday, December 26: Matthew 27- Dead.

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The glories of Christmas still ring in my ears and wonderful carols still waft through my home and yet, I sit today reading of Jesus’ torture and death. Today’s reading ends with the lifeless body of Jesus lying cold and still in a guarded tomb. Jesus is dead!

How can beauty turn to ashes so quickly?

I celebrated gold, frankincense, myrrh and homage to the babe yesterday and today I read of Jesus’ pitied death.

Yesterday I celebrated what angels sang at His birth and today ugly crowds called for Barabbas, instead of Jesus, They hurled insults at Jesus as He hung dying for their sins.

Life is anything but steady state, emotions and situations fluctuate broadly. Up one moment, down the next…

Through it all Jesus is there… always present. One momentHe sat on His rightful throne in heaven, the next He was a seed planted in the womb of Mary. And yet there was not one single moment that He was not Lord of All.

The wonder of the faith is that this Lord of glory became a man so that He might teach us the way of God and then die in our place so that we could be restored to a vital and living relationship with God … Alleluia!

Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me… for all You did so that I (we) could be saved… Thank You for the marvel of Your incarnation and Your sacrificial death… Thank You. Amen.

Tuesday, December 27: Matthew 28- Jesus is alive.

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Jesus came not only to die but to be raised to life again, a witness to all who believe that we, too, will be raised to life again!

I noticed an intriguing aspect of the story. After the women found the tomb empty and spoke with the angels, they headed back to tell the disciples. As they were walking back, Matthew tells us, Jesus met them (9). I found it interesting that Jesus found them; Jesus met them. Could it be that Jesus intentionally sought them and met them? What I saw in those three words from the text is that Jesus made sure He found the women. And even more, after greeting them, He told them, Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me (10). Jesus was making sure He met up with the others as well.

After the separation of death, Jesus made sure He reconnected with His disciples.

I thought…that’s Jesus. He meets us in our bewilderment, in our hardships, in our pain. He pursues us. Jesus didn’t simply speak platitudes when he said, And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (20).

In the Old Testament God says to Joshua As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5).

We serve a God who pursues and who stays with us… no matter what.

I spent a few minutes thinking about how God has been with me throughout my life, through thick and thin, and now I just want to thank Him. Psalm 121 comes to mind, my prayer for today.

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore Amen. (Psalm 121:1-8)

A word about Jeremiah

Jeremiah, sent to Judah, was God's last prophet to Judah, before their exile. The people of Judah had become hopelessly attached to Idols and immorality, so God through Jeremiah sent the message that if the people repented God would spare them from Babylon. Jeremiah preached this message for 40 years, but the people didn't listen to him. The result of Judah's repeated sin the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon and the exile of all Judah's people.

Friday, December 23: Matthew 25- Keep at it.

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Immediately on the heels of yesterday’s chapter about the return of Jesus and the call to live ready comes Jesus’ story about the 10 virgins. It was his set up that attracted my attention. At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. … The bridegroom was a long time in coming… (1, 5).

The bride groom was a long time in coming. Just in case his disciples (including me) thought that Jesus’ call to live ready would last only for a short time, Jesus sets the record straight. The bridegroom, Jesus, will be a long time in coming. Our call to obedient living and faithfulness to the master’s general and personal call will last a long time.

The Christian life is not a sprint, a burst out of the blocks give it 100% for a few seconds or minutes and then fall across the finish line. No, it is a marathon that will at times seem endless and will have its fill of ‘heart break’ hills.

Jesus’ call is to live ready and to keep at it until he returns and we have to be prepared for His return to be a long time in coming.

Sometimes I grow weary, it would be so much ‘easier’ to give up faithfulness and live like everyone else. Shave corners here, cheat there. Who among us wouldn’t like an immediate 10% boost in household spendable cash? I mean all I have to do is stop tithing…

When I have these pity-parties, this is a good chapter to read. Keep at it, I hear the Lord say, I may be a long time in coming but my reward will be worth it when I do come if you keep on living ready. Just read the next Jesus story about the 3 servants…!

Jesus, thank You for this Word. I am sorry that I sometimes get in these funks. I am spurred on by Your Word to take a deep breath and get back out there, living ready, living for You until the day you do return and take me along with all believers home to Your eternal kingdom.

Blessed be Your name. Amen and amen!

Thursday, December 22: Matthew 24- Be ready.

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Jesus gives an extended teaching about the end of times when He will return and usher in God’s forever kingdom. Everyone wants to know when this will be. For millennia people have been predicting the day Jesus will return. No one has been correct yet. And we shouldn’t be surprised about this. Jesus himself said, No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (36).

In lieu of knowing the date he will return, what should we do???

We should live ready for his return. In verses 42-46 Jesus makes this plain. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

Notice the key verbs: keep watch… you also must be ready. With these Jesus is telling us how to live as we await his return. We should be active in doing what God has assigned us to do!

It seems to me that this has both a general and particular charge to us as Christ-followers. There are certain things all believers should be doing… loving God and loving neighbor is a good summary. This is the general charge. It is for all believers.

Then there are the particular things God has for me (and you) to do. This is where my gifts, abilities and callings come into play. Are you a servant? Then serve. Are you a teacher? Then teach. Are you gifted with generosity? Then give.

Before you close up the scriptures for today, spend a few minutes asking yourself how you are doing with the general and particular callings God has for you. In other words, “Are you living ready?”

Come, Lord Jesus, come. And until You do, empower me to live for You! Amen.

Friday, January 6: Jeremiah 9-A golden nugget.

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As I read I mused about such things…

I can focus on knowing and understanding the Lord God. I can model my life on the three characteristics He delights in: kindness, justice, righteousness.

Kindness… treating people well, nicely, politely.

Justice… caring for and speaking up for those who have no voice in society; taking on abuses and excesses of society.

Righteousness… right and proper living in light of God and His Word.

Some practical nuggets for living… Thank You, Lord.

Lord, I have my marching orders… kindness, justice, righteousness… not easy, but a worthy goal for one who wants to follow You faithfully. Bless you, Lord God. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

Wednesday, December 21: Matthew 23-, Integrity & honesty...

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The chapter for me was summed up in the opening sentences of Jesus’ speech. Jesus said: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Is that an indictment or what?

Let the sting of his closing sentence smack you again. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

It is all too easy to point fingers at those ‘Pharisees,’ yet God won’t let me off that easily. His Word to me is simple, ‘Don’t emulate the Pharisees’.

As I flip Jesus’ Word over and point it positively at myself, I hear the Spirit chiding: “Be a man of integrity. Let your life actions speak the same message as your words. Practice what you preach…”

Those are strong words. To live them I first must take an honest look at my life. Where am I living up to these words and where am I falling short. Now my work is laid out for me. I have to shore up my failing, I have to deal with my inconsistencies and areas of dis-integrity.

I have much work to do! How about you?

Lord, I seek to live a consistently life that honors You. But I often miss the mark. There are many inconsistencies in my life. Please forgive me and more importantly, Lord, help me to gain victory in my areas of sin. Transform my life into one that is consistent. Discipline me as needed so that my life –words and actions- will represent You well, my Lord and my God. In and through Jesus, I pray. Amen

Tuesday, December 20: Matthew 22- Who would be that crazy?

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I found myself contemplating the opening parable of the king’s marriage feast. The more I looked and listened, the more stunning and shocking it became.

The lead character being a king suggests a significant level of wealth, prestige and might. I wondered what regular person in their right mind, having accepted a king’s invitation to the prince’s marriage, would at the last minute decide going to his/her field or some business deal more important? I am not a big royalty watcher, but if I had received an invitation to Prince William’s wedding, I would have locked in the date and been there. It would be an honor and down right fun to have been there. Who at the last minutes decides, ahhh I’d rather go plow a field???

Even more surprising, who would mistreat the king’s servants when they arrive to escort you to the gala? I mean, really, what kind of far fetched story is Jesus concocting?

The answer it seems is that Jesus is sticking a dagger into the religious leaders for rejecting God’s invitation to the wedding feast. They had to be furious, which seems born out by verse 15 where they lay plans to trap him…

Secondly, their rejection of Jesus as communicated by Jesus in this parable is simply ludicrous. Who would be so foolish, nearsighted and can I say it, stupid!?!

The next stage of the parable is the king sending his servants to invite everyone they see. This scene is John 3:16 in parable, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And it begs the question, “Have you accepted God’s invitation to eternal life through belief in Jesus?”

Please, do so if you haven’t done so yet. Please don’t be one of the foolish, nearsighted and yes, even stupid ones, who reject God’s free offer of life eternal through Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Dear Father God, thank you for inviting me and everyone. Yes, I will come. Yes, I love You and am so awed that You invited me. I am humbled and honored and blessed to come. Thank You! In and through Jesus, I speak these words to You. Amen.

Monday, December 19: Matthew 21- Responses to Jesus.

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I did a double take. I had to stop and reread verses 14 and 15. Did I read what I thought I read? Yes!

Check it out for yourselves… The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

I realize that previously Jesus has just driven out all of the money changers from the temple courts, something that surely riled the chief priest and teachers of the law. But these verses say that it wasn’t Jesus’ temple actions, instead it was His healings and the children’s chant that made them indignant! Indignant is a strong word. Why would a person react so strongly and negatively to healings and children chanting "Hosanna to the Son of David."

I wondered how the same Jesus that I love and serve could engender such revilement in others. Jesus does that. He causes reactions and He calls people to decide who He is to them. Is He your God and Savior, or is He something else?

This is the eternal question. Who do you believe Jesus is?

With Christmas –the birth of Jesus- on the horizon, it is good time for all of us to ponder the question, Who do I believe Jesus to be? …

And even as you ponder this remember, too. Answering this question is more than an intellectual exercise, it is a faith statement tht determines how we will live and what we will believe.

Merry Almost Christmas…

Yes, Jesus, I believe you are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. 100% God and 100% human… the God-man. I believe in You and I believe You and I will gladly follow You all the days of my life. Hallelujah Amen!

Saturday, December 17: Matthew 20- What do you want me to do for you?

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I found myself captivated by Jesus’ question to the two blind men. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked (32). I found myself wondering what I would answer if Jesus asked that of me? Would I want a million bucks? Happiness for myself, my wife or my kids? Would I ask for something I want or something for someone else?

I never did come up with an answer, in part because I knew it was only a mind exercise and not real. And partly because I chose not to indulge my selfish self and I knew that was the direction my response was headed.

I read on. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him (33-34).

The word ‘compassion’ hit me next. Jesus had compassion on them. They had a major need. Their request of Jesus caused Him to have compassion on them.

I circled back to my response to Jesus’ question and I wondered if asked ,would my response be highly selfish or would it be so significant that it elicited compassion from Jesus?…

I’m not sure.

What I do know is that it is easy for me to go to highly selfish places…

Lord Jesus, my heart is deceitful. I am in great need of Your forgiveness and cleansing. With Isaiah I cry, “I am a man of unclean lips…” And with David I cry, “cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow…”

Please, Lord, please…

Amen.

Friday, December 16: Matthew 19- Which ones?...

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Those two words jumped off the page glaring at me… “which ones?” They stood there, a shaft of light, allowing me to see deeply into the human heart and soul. “Which ones?” the man asked.

The vignette begins with the man seeking out Jesus with a question (16-18). Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" … Jesus replied … If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

"Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied…

Isn’t that like us, like me? Always trying to justify self.

Think about it. The man had a simple question and Jesus a simple answer.

Question: What do I have to do to get eternal life?

Answer: Obey the commandments.

Retort: Which ones?

I mean really, Jesus couldn’t mean obey them all… all 10 of them. No, that can’t be it. Maybe there is a loophole, maybe only 5 really count. “Which ones?” he asked, we ask.

There was another time Jesus was talking about loving others/neighbors. “Which ones?” the crowd implicitly asked. So Jesus told a parable about a Priest, a Levite, a Samaritan and a mugging victim… (check out Luke 10:25ff).

We want to justify ourselves… “which ones?,” “who?,” “how much?” We want to do just enough to get in, and nothing more…

Is it any wonder then, following a bit more of an exchange between Jesus and the man, Jesus turns to His disciples. The vignette ends with Jesus’ powerful line, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

I cannot earn salvation (eternal life) on my own. I cannot do enough to pay for the sin and corruption in my life. Only a work of God in my life can possible save me…

Lord, I have duly humbled. I am always asking ‘which ones’ trying to skate by. O, forgive me! Corruption continues to have a hold on my life. ‘I need You every hour’ the old hymn teaches me in its lyrics. And I certainly do!

Lord, I feel compelled to thank and bless You, too. Were it not for Your work in my life I could/would never have come to You by faith, surrendered to Jesus and been ushered into the kingdom of life. Thank You, God, that You made my salvation possible! Hallelujah! Amen.

Thursday, December 15: Matthew 18- Who's the greatest?

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Jesus teaches on a number of topics in this brief chapter. Greatness and forgiveness bracket topics like ‘causing others to sin’ and ‘lost sheep’. I found it an interesting mix of issues.

The ‘greatest in the kingdom’ issue is where I found myself dwelling as I spent my morning with the Lord. It’s only a couple of sentences, here’s what Jesus taught:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (1-4).

We,humans have this infatuation with greatness. It is not simply a desire to do our best, it runs deeper than that. It often seems to have to do with recognition, awards, halls of fame, being top of some list, number of championships, size of ones portfolio, etc. And people seem quite willing to ‘bend’ rules or flat out break them to achieve greatness. Steroid and performance enhancing drugs used in sports is one case in point.

The disciples come to Jesus and ask Him about greatness. Underlying their ‘who is the greatest’ question seems to be either ‘which one of us is the greatest’ or ‘how do we get to be considered the greatest?’ Like us, they were infatuated with greatness.

Jesus’ reply must have been a mind bender. Become like a child?!? I imagine Jesus using a toddler or preschooler as his living example.

A child utterly dependent, of no legal standing in the eyes of the Roman government, a child simple in thought, generally accepting of what the Father or parent says and generally less jaded by the world than adults. A child.

I thought about the various qualities of a child.

Jesus calls us to get past our adult notions of greatness and to humble ourselves like a child, then we will be great in God’s kingdom. I have much to chew on… much!

Lord, I don’t get all You seem to be saying. Throughout the day show me more of how a child lives, so that I can carry myself in a manner that pleases You. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Wednesday, December 14: Matthew 17- As the dust settles.

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Jesus’ message to His disciples has shifted. Since the end of last chapter Jesus has been weaving in word of his death and resurrection wherever possible when He speaks with His disciples. He is preparing them for the future. He is preparing them for his death.

Face it, when Jesus is arrested and dies, their lives will be turned upside down. Their ‘miracle worker’rabbi will go from revered ‘do-no-wrong’ to arrested and crucified within less than a day. My world would be shaken and theirs was, I am sure.

So Jesus is preparing them, teaching them so that the blow can be understood, if not immediately, at least when the dust settles.

Jesus’ teachings are preparing His disciples for the future.

As I mulled on that, I realized that God’s Word, the Bible, plays a similar role in our lives. The Word teaches us about the things of God and prepares us for our future. When believers die, God’s Word and the teachings about eternal life comforts me. Sure I grieve but as the ‘dust’ settles in my life,,I understand.

The Word teaches me about forgiveness so that when I am hurt by others, I can understand the power of forgiveness. Do I access this truth immediately? Generally not, the sting of the hurt often cuts deeply but as the dust settles in my life, Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness ring true and I take the gamble to forgive. That has never been a decision I have regretted! Never…

And so I found myself thinking about all the ways God’s Word prepares me for life and for death.

Thank You, my God, for Your Word, for the teaching and truth of the Holy Bible, the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, It prepares me, it comforts me, it teaches me.

Your Words are life, O God, and I feed on them by faith with thanksgiving… Praise Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, December 13: Matthew 16- The first steps of a marathon are not the whole race.

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So many lessons…

My thoughts sparked on the last few vignettes. Peter makes the amazing confession that Jesus is the Christ. He gets it… he makes his profession of faith. This could possibly be Peter’s ‘cross-the-line-of-faith’ moment.

Then in the next moment he rebukes Jesus, as Jesus begins to explain the cross. Jesus harshly corrects him.…

One moment Peter is a paragon of faith and godly insight, and literally the next he is rebuked by the Lord for being a “stumbling block” who doesn’t have the mind of God. Up one moment, down in the pits the next…

What really prodded my devotions was Jesus’ next statement, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (24).

Following Jesus is a life of self denial, accepting the cross and continually following. This is a life long journey that will be filled with challenges and growth and getting things wrong and getting things right.

I saw in these few sentences, a picture of life with Jesus. First, a moment of insight and the thrill of getting it right and then moments when we will miss the mark. It requires self-denial and sacrifice…

Following Jesus is like running a marathon. All runners start with energy and excitement but to complete the race, runners must settle in for the long haul, push through times of pain. Sometimes they even stumble and fall, but to finish they get back up and push on until they cross the finish line…

Jesus, I pray for strength to keep on following You. Forgive me for my sin-stumbles. Holy Spirit, please send grace so that I can get up and keep on going, keep on running for and with Jesus until You call me home or You return. Amen.

Monday, December 12: Matthew 15- Serving; a second lesson.

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I’ve been walking with Jesus for 30+ years and as I review my life, I see areas where I have grown and transformed significantly. I see other areas that have more of an ‘up and down record’ and then some places where I still have not gained victory. I get frustrated with myself, sometimes, for failing again and again.

Reading the story of the feeding of the 4000, I started to think, “Those dullards, just one page before Jesus feeds 5000! Don’t they get it? Where’s their faith?” Yet even as these reactions were starting, I flipped to myself and realized I’m no better. I stumble and fall. I don’t get it the first time. I am slow to learn who Jesus is, too!

Realizing this is not a license to fail, to give up, or to be slow to learn. Instead, Jesus gave us a gift. He knows we are human and that we don’t often learn things the first time around so he served His disciples a second lesson. He does this for me, too, serving me a second and third and … lesson until I learn what He is teaching. Thank You, Jesus.

Spend a few moments reviewing your life. Where has/is Jesus being patient with you in your growth? Thank Him for His patience and resolve yourself to deep dedication to grow and be transformed.

Jesus, thank You for never giving up on me, for offering me truth and opportunities to grow over and over again. Also, for being patient with me.

Forgive me for faith negligence; for not giving my following of You my all. I ask for courage and determination to follow through on the areas of growth You show me. I pray for dedication to Your cause and a transformed heart. I sit with Your Word as a practice that Your Word might wash me clean and transform my life as the Holy Spirit applies it to my life and cleanse me with it.

I pray this prayer with deep gratitude for the One who will never let me go. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saturday, December 10: Matthew 14-

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The report of John the Baptist’s beheading is a despicable account of abusive power. John is bound and imprisoned because he dared to call King Herod’s adultery with his brother’s wife unlawful. Although he longed to kill John, silencing his critic, John was a political nightmare because the people revered John.

Then comes the party, a liquored oath, a provocative dance, a cunning wife and John is beheaded.

My thoughts travel in two directions…

First, I thought about the abuse of unchecked power. Herod could do what he pleased. He had the power! It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Well, the phrase isn’t biblical but it is generally accurate. The selfish-sin nature in us seems to become unbridled of any conscience when a person gains absolute power. Even as I was musing on the nature of power, the Spirit prompted me to consider those areas in which I have power. I have some places of power, none absolute, but power nonetheless. For example:

within my family,

over my time and checkbook

certain areas at my work

and so on.

Next the Spirit prompted me to consider how I was using my power. Was it honorably or recklessly? It was as if the Spirit was saying, “Don’t be a Herod. Don’t let the sin within you get the best of you…”

The second was in the arena of oaths. Herod, probably in ‘good’ spirits from wine, said so all would hear, that he would give his daughter anything she asked for. When she returned asking for the head of John the Baptist, Herod felt bound by his oath and complied by killing John. It struck me, as strange as it might seem, that in this moment Herod was a man of integrity. He kept his oath! First, I pondered oath making. Herod should never have said what he said, a reminder to me that I have to be careful about my words. Second, Herod kept his word, reminding me that I need to be a man of my word, too. When I give my word, people should understand that my word is my bond…

Such were my meditations for today.

Father, Jesus, Spirit, I feel pierced. First by the ways I am prone to misuse power and then by the way I can give my word only to forget or reneg later.

O, God, I fall so short of Your desire for me as a Christ-follower. Please help me to grow, to mature. Use my time in Your word to be a transforming agent in my life that I might be more Christ-like. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friday, December 9: Matthew 13- What is it worth to you?

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Clearly the kingdom of God is the subject of this chapter. Jesus layers parable after parable teaching about the kingdom of God. I found myself ruminating on two short ones near the end.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (44-46).

These two parables ask a penetrating question, ‘How much do you value God’s kingdom?’ Or put another way, ‘How much will you sacrifice for God’s kingdom?’

According to these parables the kingdom is worth everything… there is no sacrifice to large, no price too great to gain the kingdom… sold all he had and bought that field (44); sold everything he had and bought it (46).

It didn’t take long for me to begin looking within. How much do I value, how much do I sacrifice for God’s kingdom?

My internal picture isn’t pretty. I sometimes get the equation upside down thinking about how much I will get from the kingdom, not how much will I give. I feel so ‘little’ realizing how often and much I distort God’s kingdom into something that serves me. Scripture is so correct… the heart is deceitful about all things (Jeremiah 17:9)

Lord, as we move toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth, so much attention is focused on gifts I will give and receive from others. Christmas has become the great package exchange.

Lord, Jesus’ birth is often lost or at best minimized in our celebrations and traditions around Christmas. And surely the concept of sacrifice and giving all to gain the kingdom is no where to be seen in present day Christmas celebrating in my world…

O, God, I am so inculturated I don’t know what to do… (I feel small admitting this).

Lord, what can/should I do???

Help me, Lord, please lead me. In Jesus’ name and for Your kingdom’s sake… Amen.

Thursday, December 8: Matthew 12- We want a sign.

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The last few chapters have been a parade of miracles and the parade continues in this morning’s reading. A bullet-point synopsis of chapter 12 shows Jesus healing a man with a shriveled hand (13). Word spreads, people seek him out and he healed all their sick (15). Next, He heals a demon possessed man who is blind and mute (22). After this, and remember He has been performing healings and the like for a number of chapters, Matthew recounts a head-scratching incident.

Verse 38: Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." WHAT!?!

Pharisees have been tracking Him and have determined to kill Him because of what He is doing, particularly healings on the Sabbath (14). People are flocking to Him so that they can hear Him teach and have friends and relatives healed (15). And yet some Pharisees and teachers wanted to see a miraculous sign.Hadn’t they seen enough? What more did Jesus need to do to convince them He was who He said He was???

This started me thinking. Some people are never satisfied; they always need ‘one more’ proof before they can believe. How sad because many never do believe. It is as if they cannot ‘see’ what is right before them.

My hunch is that most who read this already believe in Jesus. If that is you, then pray for friends and family who don’t yet believe. Maybe your intercession on their behalf will unlock their ‘blindness.’

And if you are a reader who does not yet believe in Jesus, what is holding you back? Why not take that step of faith today…

Lord, I am reminded of a father who in Mark 9 asked Jesus if He could help his son. When queried about his “if” the father said, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (9:24).

Lord, I pray for those stuck in unbelief today… help them with their unbelief and lead them across the line of faith to believe in Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Wednesday, December 7: Matthew 11- What's your resume?

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John, wondering if Jesus is the Christ, sends disciples to ask Jesus. Jesus answers not with a direct ‘yes or no’, but rather Jesus cites His resume. Jesus replied, Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor (4-5). Jesus understood that John would know the answer to his question hearing what Jesus did and taught. Jesus’ Words and actions were congruent… forming quite a resume.

This got me to thinking. What’s my resume? If someone were to ask me if I were a Christ-follower, what resume could I produce? First, let’s set aside miracle-working before I probe my resume.

Do I have a legacy of caring for those in need and speaking of Jesus’ Good News to the poor? Do I? Do you?

Worth thinking about… at least it is for me! (And a bit sobering, too. What am I doing with my life for Jesus and His kingdom?)

Father, help me to hear and see and DO the good works You have prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I long for my light to shine that others may see my good works and praise You (Matthew 5:16) because I do them in Your name, by Your leading and through Your strength. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Tuesday, December 6: Matthew 10- Authority.

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I found myself captivated by the word authority in the opening sentence. He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (1). It is an interesting choice of words.

Authority… think about that for a moment.

Doctors don’t heal by authority; they heal through training in medical science and learned skills. Right?

Jesus doesn’t give ‘the twelve’ wisdom about physiology, nor does he train them in medical procedures or medicines. He doesn’t teach them healing techniques. Jesus gives them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Presumably He gives them ‘His’ authority or authority in ‘His name’ to do these things.

Police have the authority of the state to arrest. Judges and Justices have the authority of state and federal governments to preside over cases and make pronouncements. Authority is different than power. Power is generally based on things like size, strength, or intelligence. But authority is invested in a person due to title and rank.

Greenwich Avenue is the main shopping street in our town and it has police officers who control the intersections during the prime shopping times. By simply raising their hand these officers stop traffic. In and of themselves they do not have the power to stop a car. Any car has to power to make a pancake out of the police officer standing in the intersection. But the officer has the authority to stop the cars.

Jesus gave his disciples authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

I invite you to join me in thinking about these things today…

Jesus, you gave authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. That’s amazing. And I know that at the end of this Gospel you will give authority to make disciples to the end of the earth. That may be even more amazing.

Help me to understand better the authority You have given, so that I can be most effective in advancing Your kingdom. In Your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Monday, December 5: Matthew 9- The crush of needs.

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As I read this chapter, I found myself thinking….how did Jesus do it? One need after another, it seemed like the line of people never stopped. How did Jesus maintain approachability? How did he keep his composure? I sat and marveled at how Jesus was willing to give and give and give!

The text is silent about my wonderings but I sat amazed at Jesus. Here He is the one and only Son making time for everyone who came to Him with a need.

My selfishness is so readily apparent compared to Jesus’ selflessness. I am in awe of Him who came to save me…

Lord Jesus, I am not even sure how or what to pray. I am awed by Your love for people. You turn no one away. Instead, You bend over to care for people. O, Lord, I simply want to thank and praise You. You have never turned me away. I am so blessed to be Yours.

Jesus, help me please to learn the care for people that You displayed. Lead me and guide me. Holy Spirit, teach me to be more like Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

Saturday, December 3: Matthew 8- Whatever the need.

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After 3 chapters of teaching, Jesus becomes a man of action and miracles. I watched Jesus. When people had a need, it didn’t matter if it was great or not, Jesus met it and cared for the individual.

Right out of the shoot Jesus heals a man with leprosy. Touching an untouchable, this healing allowed an outcast to rejoin the community. Go Jesus!

Next stop, the Centurion’s servant who was at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering (6). Again, the need seems great. Who wouldn’t want to bring healing to someone in terrible suffering? Jesus did and He showed us a lesson about faith in the process.

Next comes Peter’s mom. It sounds like Jesus is having one of those days when you get out of bed and never stop running. Jesus and His crew go to Peter’s house, I’m surmising for some RnR and a good home cooked meal, only to find Peter’s mom in bed with a fever. Matthew doesn’t tell us the extent of the illness –a case of the flu, a migraine, an allergy headache- we don’t know. But compared to leprosy and someone paralyzed and in terrible pain, the headache issue doesn’t stack up. And yet Jesus cares for Peter’s mom just as he did the others. Herein lies my morning lesson…

Jesus was present with the people He was with. He didn’t keep score, only helping people in dire need. He doesn’t have a rating system dealing only with the most critical. Jesus helps the person He is with, whatever their issue or need. To Jesus ,the woman with the headache is as important as the leper.

The person He is with… whatever the need, that’s a picture of Jesus in action!

Do I reflect Jesus? This is my question and thought for today…

Lord Jesus, as I go about my day today, help me to be present with those people You bring my way. Help me to be present with them and to act as Your Spirit leads and directs. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friday, December 2: Matthew 7- Judging others.

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Like it or not, judging others is part of human life. We do it all the time and for the most part we do it by external factors. We meet someone new and internally we are making judgments based on their appearance and dress, the way they speak, vocabulary, how they carry themselves, comments they make… and so on. It is called first impressions. And they count, just ask people applying for jobs.

Then as we get to know people we continue to make judgments, hopefully based on more substantive matters. Let’s face it, we are regularly making judgments about people.

Because of this, Jesus’ Words struck home as I read his opening salvo… Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

It is the second paragraph that really hit me, the plank and speck paragraph. Jesus played hardball. He gives my neighbor the speck and I have the plank, which tells me I need to deal with my problems at home –in my life- before I try to solve others’ problems. And often that which I notice (and judge) in other’s lives reveals issues in my own life.

One thing I am trying to do (unfortunately, I am more unsuccessful than successful) is to make a mental note of what issues I judge in others and then examine my life through those lenses. Hopefully, that is one way I can live out Jesus’ Word to remove my plank before I take on other’s specks…

Lord, I need a lot of help with this judging thing. Please help me. Amen.

Thursday, December 1: Matthew 6-

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I have been walking with Jesus and reading the Bible once a year for more than 3 decades. How is it I can see new things each time I read? Flipping that over, how can I miss something that this morning seems so obvious?

I have read the Lord’s prayer hundreds of times and prayed it thousands. I have taught on it a handful of times and yet today, I saw something I don’t recall seeing before. (Of course an alternative answer is that I am getting old and having forgotten things, I get to relearn them for a second or third time?!? Ha!!!)

Anyway, here is what I saw this morning. Every pronoun is plural; there is not a single pronoun in the lot.

'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

This prayer is a community prayer!

Of course I can use it as a pattern for my personal prayers, which I do, and which I have taught. But how could I miss the corporate/plural nature of the original? It is a prayer of community. I don’t merely pray for MY daily bread, I pray for OUR daily bread. I pray for my neighbor, the sister or brother standing with me or near me. I am praying that God will meet OUR daily needs. In a positive and wholesome use of the word, this is a ‘socialist’ prayer not a ‘personal’ prayer.

And the same is true when it comes to the forgiveness line and the lead us not into temptation line. More than personal, these are ‘we/us’ prayers.

This thought is spearing holes in my staunchly independent understanding of life that I have as a 20^th and now 21^st century US, born and raised, Christ-follower.

This thought has to simmer more in my mind, heart and soul…

O, God, I am not even sure how to pray today. So often my prayers are only MY prayers… noble or selfish they are for ME and about MY life. And this mornings’ gaze into the prayer You taught, Jesus, is chock full of WE and US and I am struggling to translate that into my morning prayer…

As I spend this time with You, I am alone in a hotel room by myself traveling in a city far from home. The only others around me are in the cars and trucks I hear outside zipping by and the occasional footsteps in the hall. Lord, is this prayer calling me to pray for these others… that You would provide ‘us’ with food, forgiveness and freedom from temptation? I don’t know these people. Does that even matter?

Should I envision my community and my faith community and pray that You will provide ‘us’ with food, forgiveness and freedom from temptation?

Lord, open my world up to the ‘us/we’ of this prayer… In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wednesday, November 30: Matthew 5- Re-patterning lives.

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The opening of the chapter caught my attention. I often think of Jesus seeing crowds and healing those who are sick but not on this occasion. Today he taught. Matthew sets the scene like this: Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying (1-2).

Even as I meditate and write, this thought seems too simple but it tugs on me. Jesus understood that the people needed understanding and wisdom for living, that they craved help with this life. How are we supposed to live?

Jesus also understood that God’s way is not something we will come up with by ourselves. Damaged by sin, we see the world through selfish eyes. We need to be taught another way, a better way, God’s way. We need a re-patterning of our thinking and that requires new information.

Addicts who enter a program have to face the fact that the way they were living is not working. Cleaning their bodies of the chemical dependencies is only one step. To stay clean they need to re-pattern their thinking and behaviors, and that requires information so they can see their world differently.

Jesus understood that people needed more that healing. People need teaching if lives are going to change. So when he saw the crowds … he began to teach them…

Jesus also understood what people needed when. When their presenting issue was illness, He healed. When they were hungry He fed. And when given the opportunity, He taught so that people knew both the way to God and the kind of life that pleased God.

Father, help me to listen to Jesus and His teaching and to re-pattern my life in the way He teaches. Lord, I pray for my areas of weakness, I pray for strength to grow to bring my thoughts and actions in line with Your will and way.

Help me, too, in humility to grow in wisdom, knowing when and how to help people re-pattern their lives after You. Also in knowing when and how to teach and to point people to Jesus who will point them to You, Father. Holy Spirit, guide me because I cannot do this on my own. In and through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Tuesday, November 29: Matthew 4- When you are weak. watch out.

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The chapter opening showed me something quite simple. The devil is a cagy adversary, who knows how to strike a person when he/she is down.

Jesus’ public ministry is about to begin but before it does, Jesus spends sometime alone in the desert. Matthew explains:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread"… (1-3).

I have done a little bit of fasting in my life, mostly a day here and a day there,once I might have completed a fast of 5 days or so. Honestly, I cannot imagine 40 day fast. I’ve read people who have done that but I can’t imagine it.

Matthew’s comment, After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. That seems like a touch of humor. Of course he was hungry!

What caught my attention is that the devil chose to strike at the moment when Jesus was hungry, when He was weak and when He was most vulnerable. That’s a strategy… strike a person when he/she is down. If I am hungry, tired, sick, in a hurry, upset, those are the moments when my fleshly, sin-filled desires are closest to the surface and I am most apt to stumble and fall.

As I have talked with friends and listened to wise counsel, this appears to be a universal human trait. The devil knows that and thought Jesus was most likely to succumb to temptation at that time. Jesus didn’t! And a devil strategy was revealed.

The Spirit’s warning to me was simple. The devil is a wily enemy who wants nothing more that to cause me to fall into sin and for me to disgrace the name of my Savior Jesus. I have to be constantly vigilant against the devil’s schemes and most especially vigilant when I am tired, hungry, sick, in a hurry, upset, etc. These are the times in my life when I am most vulnerable! And the Spirit says, “Be alert… and take care of yourself to minimize those vulnerable times in my life…”

Think about it…

O, Father, help me. Help me to be strong, to stand for You strongly. Help me to be wary of the enemy, the devil, and to resist his tactics and ploys. Father, help me to immerse myself in Your Word. Jesus used scriptures as his defense, how much more should I? Holy Spirit, teach me scripture, that my life will be strong in You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Monday, November 28: Matthew 3- John.

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I found myself watching and listening to John and wondering, “Where did he get his wisdom and chutzpah to take on the religious leaders like he did?” When Jesus says things like John did, I can shrug it off saying thinks like, “Well, Jesus is God in human flesh and the Holy Spirit lighted on him and stayed with him during his ministry, so I can’t be expected to act like that.” But John is just a regular guy like me. So I wondered and pondered…

I even spent a few minutes thumbing through this and the other Gospels for clues. The cupboard was pretty bare. I did find one verse Luke 1:17: And he [John the Baptist] will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. So now I wondered what the ‘spirit and power of Elijah’ meant. Elijah was one of the great prophets of Israel and a miracle worker. John, as far as I know, didn’t perform miracles. Apparently God’s power was displayed in John’s message proclamation.

Where I ultimately landed in my meditations was that John, like Elijah, was a man dedicated to the Lord and who made following God his life desire. They were also men empowered by God to do great works for God’s kingdom.

Now I have some things to pray about…

Father, Jesus, Spirit, I seek the passion and will to be fully dedicated to You like John and Elijah…to go, do and say all You have for me to do. Lord, it is a bit intimidating to pray that prayer and yet I pray it. Lord, use me!

I pray to that Your Holy Spirit will fill me as You did John and Elijah, so that I go, do and say they things You have for me to do in Your power and not mine!

To You, O, God, be the honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Saturday, November 26: Matthew 2- Recipe of a sin.

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Herod caught my eye as I read today. Eventually he would perpetrate a dastardly crime, being considered, in our time, a mass murderer. What fascinated me was watching the sin-idea grow.

It seems for Herod that jealousy was the initial seed. I am certain from my own life that thousands of emotions can birth a sin but for Herod this time, it seems to be jealousy. Herod was disturbed that a potential rival –another king- was born in his realm.

Jealousy simmered for a while as Herod listened to the rumors bounce around the court. A murderous idea hatched. What if I can find this rival king? I could kill him. So, on the pretense of state business, he invited the Magi for an audience. These unsuspecting foreign dignitaries are pumped for information and asked to continue their search. “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him" (8). It was a rouse, and it almost worked.

The Magi were warned not to return to Herod so Herod’s single murder grew into mass murder.“If I can’t find and murder my rival then I can kill all the children his age in his birth region of my realm.” And so another mass murdering tyrant is added to history’s list.

Here in brief is Herod’s sin-recipe:

üStart with an initial sin-filled seed (jealousy)

üSimmer the seed until you create a good stock

üMake adjustments to taste, add ‘spice’ and other ingredients until the ‘stock’ thickens into a dastardly ‘stew’…

I’m not Herod, nor have I become a mass-murderer. However, I can, all too easily, follow the same recipe, allowing sin to brew in my life. Sometimes through a wound, other times a human nature flaw, I allow a negative thought to plant a sin-seed. Rather than nipping it in the bud, I let this seed simmer. It seeps into different areas of my life and the sin-seed thought becomes a sin-filled action. I am not immune from this.

Pondering Herod, I sense a strong warning from the Spirit, “Bill, the best opportunity to overcome is to interrupt the recipe at the early stage. Don’t allow yourself to simmer the seed into stock. This is one way you can grow more faithful in Me.”

Lord God, forgive me. Too often I allow a sin-seed to stay and simmer in my life. Nothing good comes from this. Help me, Lord, to recognize these situations and Lord, please give me the faith to act appropriately, to confess the sin-seed and seek your forgiveness early.

O, Holy Spirit, I cannot do this on my own. Help me to listen for Your voice, Holy Spirit, so that I may walk in the way of righteousness for Jesus and the Father’s sake, in Whose name I pray. Amen.

Friday, November 25: Matthew 1- How to make a godly decision.

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It is refreshing for me to be back in the NT. Advent begins Sunday so it is doubly good to be reading one of the Gospels of Jesus.

For some reason I connected with Joseph as he had an agonizing decision to make. How should he deal with an apparently unfaithful betrothed? Watching Joseph, I saw a godly man navigating decision highway.

Step 1: integrity & righteousness. Joseph lived his life in light of his faith in God and over the years he developed personal characteristics that honor God. Verse 19 reads: Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. As he considered his options, he weighed his options against general God-honoring living.

Step 2: he remained open to God’s voice and leading. His mind set on one godly course, Joseph remained open to the Holy Spirit, listening for God’s leading and direction. In this case the Spirit showed him another course to follow. Verse 20, But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Step 3: obedience. Joseph obeyed the voice and direction of God. Verse 24 records, When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. This step comes as no surprise since obedience is the faith-filled response God desires from those who will follow Him.

Reviewing these steps, #2 –remaining open to God’s voice and leading is crucial for me. I have spent years working to grow in godliness. I am far from perfect but it has been a many year pursuit for me. I would like to think that with this important decision I seek to do the godly thing. Where I falter is that once I come to a course of action, I can lock in on my decision rather than remain open to the continual leading of the Spirit. Turning off listening to and for God’s voice, is never good…

Lord, thank You for this word and direction this morning. Please help me to take it to heart and to build this pattern into my life. Lord, I want to be a man who pleases You with my life and in my decisions. Following your lead is key. Amen.

Thursday, November 24: 2Corinthians 13- Take aim.

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There were two wonderful devotional verses for me as I read this chapter. Verse 5, Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? and 11, Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Verse 11 stuck and I found myself pondering the practical advice Paul gives in that verse.

Aim for perfection, I know I will never achieve perfection, but at least for me I am blessed to have such a lofty goal. It will keep me striving… striving to be the man God wants me to be. It keeps me striving to live more and more Christ-like as I walk with the Lord longer and longer. Goals motivate me and this is a goal I can work on my entire life…

Live in peace. There is so much strife in this world, within families, communities, work places, countries, churches and so on. Strife sucks the life out of me. I imagine it does the same to you. As I ponder this simple command, I balance it with Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. I find the If it is possible helpful because I can only control my actions and thoughts. Sometimes the other person will make peace, but even if they don’t, I can choose to live peaceably.I know when I do, my life is better for it.

And the God of love and peace will be with you. God rewards right behavior and having God with me is reward itself…

Thank You, Lord, for calling me to a higher way to live, for spurring me on to faith and good deeds, for setting the bar high. And for providing the Holy Spirit who gives me strength to do the things You call and ask me to do! Lord, I pray that I will know Your presence in my life as I go about my days… in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wednesday, November 23: 2Corinthians 12- Who gets the glory?.

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Sometimes God doesn’t heal. A person of sincere faith prays and yet God chooses not to heal, but rather allows us to live with, suffer through and even die from a sickness and injury. Why does God do this? I don’t know, I wish I did but I don’t.

As I read about Paul’s non-healing, I wondered about this whole issue again. One question that this passage seemed to answer for me is this, “Can God receive honor and glory when He doesn’t heal?”

Well, with the apostle Paul as an example, the answer is apparently, YES.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me (7-9).

In his weakness, inadequacy, and non-healing, Paul boasts in Jesus whose power becomes obvious in and through Paul. Since it cannot possibly be Paul himself who accomplished what he does, it is obviously God though Paul who gives the strength, wisdom and power for Paul to do what he does. So Paul points people to God. To GOD be the glory!

God gets the glory when we give God the glory. The question that erupts in my thoughts is this, “Do I give God the glory in good times and in bad? Do I point to Jesus as the one who gets me through the tough times or do I take the honor for myself or whine and complain against God?”

O, God, forgive me. There are times I whine and complain rather than seeing Your hand giving me strength in a hard time. I complain. Why can’t my life be easy???? Forgive me, please.

And forgive me, too, when I usurp Your rightful place and seek to take the glory when it is You who deserves it.

O, God, may Your grace be sufficient for me. Amen.

Tuesday, November 22: 2Corinthians 11- What are your boasts

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Boasting, we all do it. Some of us may be braggadocios, boasting and bragging about most things. We may even be bombastic, loud and obnoxious in our boasting and bragging. Others of us are more quiet, even reserved, but touch on certain subjects and we, too, will boast.

People boast about cars and homes –possessions. Others boast about universities attended or degrees earned. Job titles and athletic prowess are other common sources of boasting. Parents boast about their kids… ‘my daughter has lead in the school play,’ ‘little Johnny sleeps through the night and he is only 6 weeks old.’ We can and often do boast about things…

Paul makes a fascinating statement about boasting. If I must boast, he writes, I will boast of the things that show my weakness (30). And so he boasts about beatings and hardship and trials…

How radically different Paul was. He truly marched to the beat of a different drum.

I wondered about Paul’s comment, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. What’s the deal with that? I have read the Scriptures enough times so that I know where he is going. He will boast in his weakness because when he is weak, God is strong.

I am fascinated and spurred on by how Christ-centered Paul really is. What motivates him is whatever gives most glory and honor to God.

Boasting generally seeks to bring honor to the boast-er, but not Paul. Even in his boasting, he seeks to bring honor to the Lord. Wow, I have so much still to learn about living for God’s honor and glory all the time…

O, Lord, I have so much to learn, so many places in my life to grow. Continue to work with me. Continue to challenge me through Your Word. I pray this through my Savior Jesus; in His name. Amen.

Monday, November 21: 2Corinthians 10- Surface or substance?

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You are looking only on the surface of things. These words from verse 7 started wheels turning within. How often I live on the surface alone, not asking or observing the deeper things. I realize this is a bit of a bounce off of the text, but I seemed to hear God saying look below, contemplate deeply the life you live.

I am so blessed, my family is healthy and we all get along. There are no real tensions that prick at us. How often I pass over this, missing how blessed we are by the Lord. By not pausing to think on these things, I miss seeing the mighty hand of God at work. I think that is what the Lord wants me to realize today. His hand is so great! Thank You, Lord.

Even though I read God’s Word daily, I can go through seasons where I forget to ponder the wonder of a God who would put His Word into written form so that I, and fellow believers, might have His Word with us. What a treasure God’s Word is and yet sometimes I take it for granted. And I take the fact that I can read and I have finances such that I can purchase a Bible for granted. This pops into my mind as yet another thing God wants me to realize today… God is so good. Thank You, Lord.

And so it seems, Lord, that You want me to slow down and think deeply about life and to stop rushing from thing to thing, activity to activity. This constant rush of life, in which I generally find myself, allows me only enough time to look at the surface of things alone. And I am all the poorer because I don’t take the time to think deeply…

Lord, this is a surprising word, thank You. Now please help me to slow my internal motor so that I take time to think and ponder. And in so doing, see the wonder of Your hand at work in my life and in the world around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saturday, November 19: 2Corinthians 9- A little generosity goes a long way.

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Late June through mid-July, I spent time in Jos, Nigeria on a 3-week mission trip. We stayed in friends’ house in a walled compound. The two gates were guarded 24/7 by guards who worked 3 weeks on, one off. It was not uncommon for us to take our leftover dinner out to the guards to share. On one such visit to the guardhouse, the guard, Peter, said, “Aye, I remember you from 2 years ago. You brought us food then, too. Thank you, thank you. I have been praying for you since then and hoping that I might see you again. Thank you.”

For two years the gate-guard Peter has been thanking God and praying for us because we shared our leftover meal occasionally with him. A little generosity goes a long way…

Paul understands the power of generosity too. In verses 13-15 Paul writes: Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

My simple thought is this…. how can I cultivate generosity as a part of who I am? And what can I do today to be generous to someone?

Think about it. No, better…..go out and be generous… cultivate generosity in your life.

O, God, you are so generous and lavish with Your love for me. Help me in turn to be generous with others… generous with my money, resources, time and words. I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.