Author: Thomas E Meyer Jr

Formerly Homeless Sinner Now, Child of God, Saved by Grace.

Do we seriously want to be used by God? Be a living, active, and fruitful, part of carrying out His will on earth? 2 Timothy 2:20-26

2 Timothy 2:20-26 New American Standard Bible

20 Now in a great house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce [a]quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive [b]by him to do his will.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Paul’s opening words – “Now in a great house…” – reminds me of the image he used to describe the church in 1 Timothy 3:15 where he says that he wants the members of the church to “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth”.

Paul’s point with the image he is painting is the church is the great household of God and God intends to fill his home with people who live to serve him above all else.

The problem, of course, is that when we become part of God’s household, the moment we surrender to Jesus as our Savior, we do not usually understand that we are also being called to surrender to Jesus as our King; we like the benefits of salvation, but we cringe at the expectations for a servant of the King – even if those expectations are for our own good.

Another way to think about this is to think about our natural tendency to come into God’s household as a consumer who enjoys being served by other servants of God but then balk at the expectations of being transformed into contributors expected to serve God by serving others from a pure heart of loving sacrifice.

Having someone sacrificially serve you is much more attractive than being called to become a sacrificial servant for others.

Why is this?

I think it’s because being served does not require moral fortitude or commitment.

But sacrificially serving others – to the point that it really hurts and costs us – this is something that does require moral fortitude, does require unwavering commitment.

This is Paul’s vision for members and leaders within the household of God: That they would be servants of God who are growing in godly character. 

What you are is far more important than what you do because what you do will always flow out of, prove what you really are. 

So how do we become servants of God who are growing in godly character?

Look at the text with me…

2 Timothy 2:20-26 New Living Translation

20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.  26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

#1: SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRASH CANS AND SERVING DISHES (VV. 20 – 21)

Evaluating and differentiating between trash cans and serving dishes helps us to see current unwanted realities clearly and strive towards a more desirable future. We have to see the difference between trash cans and serving dishes if we are going to become servants of God who are growing in godly character.

This is why Paul reminds Timothy in verses 20 – 21 that, 

“20…in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 

The reality is that we cannot serve nourishing meals in filthy trash cans.

In Timothy’s day, just like today, every home had trash cans for taking the garbage out and serving dishes for delivering nourishing food.

In God’s house the expectation is that there will be no garbage to take out because God’s house is intended to be perfectly clean.

Therefore, every person who claims the name of the Lord is expected to cleanse themselves from filthy garbage of sin by trusting and obeying the gospel – the message of Jesus, crucified for our sin, risen in victory over death, returning in triumph over Satan.

As you and I trust in the message of the gospel and strive for obedience to the gospel – meaning that we strive after holiness – God transforms us from the trash cans we were into the priceless serving dishes he intended us to be –set apart as holy and useful to God for every good work. 

We must see the difference between being a trash can or a serving dish!

#2: RUN FROM GARBAGE AND CHASE GODLINESS (V. 22)

The foundation of this principle is that we must run away from some things while running after other things.

We cannot live our lives perpetually running towards garbage because we will inevitably be running away from the purity that only godliness can produce.

We also cannot spend our lives merely running away from the destination of garbage without a new destination of godliness in the windshield.

This is why Paul instructs Timothy in verse 22, to 

22So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 

It is foolishness to run from one bad destination without a better destination in our sights.

Early on in my journey with Jesus, a friend and mentor of mine taught me the acronym “G.I.G.O.” – Garbage In Garbage Out – which simply teaches us that if you put garbage into your system then garbage is what inevitably comes out.

Paul is basically reminding Timothy of this principle in verses 21 – 22 when he tells Timothy to run from the bad destination of youthful passions and chase the good destinations of godliness characterized as righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

This is the destination that all who genuinely follow Jesus are chasing after.

The questions for us is:

Which destination am I chasing?

Am I chasing the destination of youthful passions – a destination that looks and smells like the garbage of filth, impurity, rebellion, hate, and conflict?

Or am I chasing the destination of godliness that looks and smells like the godly character traits of righteousness, holiness, purity, faith, love, and peace?

If we are truly going to become and be servants of God who are growing in godly character, then we must run from garbage and chase godliness.

#3: LIVE TO SERVE GOD ALONE (VV. 23 – 26)

I think this final principle is Paul’s bullseye, it is what he has been aiming at all along.

He knows that there are some highly influential leaders in the city of Ephesus who have abandoned their faith (1:15, 2:16 – 18) –

they have become trash cans instead of priceless serving dishes and they have been chasing the garbage of self-exaltation instead of pure godliness – as they spread their cancerous false teaching, seek to draw believers into their prison cell of foolishness.

This is why Paul says, 

23Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

A self-serving mentality is a snare of the devil that has wrecked many ships on the shorelines of consumerism.

Serving God alone is the only key to getting and remaining free from the prison cell of our sinful selves.

When it comes to our self-exaltation (serving selfish desires) it is never more clearly seen than the petty and ignorant arguments that often break out among God’s people.

I have been guilty, more times than I can count, of taking the bait of being right and being able to win an argument. Arguing passionately is not always a sin but arguing for the sake of being right or for the sake of winning the fight is a sin.

This is why Paul reminds Timothy that someone who truly wants to serve

God alone, above all else, must not argue to merely argue or to win the fight but instead must practice kindness and patient teaching while enduring all of the evil that gets thrown around when confronting error and falsehood.

The intended goal in someone who wants to serve God alone and grow in godly character is the goal of seeing others repent from sin and trust in the truth of the gospel so they may walk in freedom from the effects of Satan, Sin, Death.

If you and I would live our lives to serve God alone, then we will resist and continue to repent when we get caught up in arguing to win the fight and we will press on in serving God by patiently enduring evil and speaking truth so that others may repent and be set free.

We must remember that a self-serving mentality is a snare of the devil that has wrecked many ships on the shorelines of consumerism. 

Serving God alone is the only key to getting and remaining free from the prison cell of our sinful desires.

CONCLUSION…

In conclusion, a servant of God who is growing in godly character must see the difference between being a trash can and being a serving dish. We must run from garbage and chase godliness, and we must live our lives to serve God and God alone instead of our own selfish desires.

I pray about everything I have just said, and it all rings true, it all sounds good.

But it all feels impossible sometimes; doesn’t it?

I am way too prone to being more like a trash can with my thoughts, words, and actions than I wish I was.

I am way too prone to run towards garbage instead of chasing godliness. Sadly, I find myself chasing self-exaltation instead of living my life to serve God alone.

Someone picks a fight with me based on some kind of foolishness and I go off halfcocked, ready to decimate their argument and destroy them in the process;

I act like a trashcan.

I feel the guilt and shame of my sin and I let my thoughts and my eyes linger on impure things that bring a momentary sense of pleasure to escape the pain;

I chase garbage.

I want to prove I am better than I really am, so I jump back into the argument with a renewed sense of winning and rightness; I wind up exalting myself.

What a wretched sinner I really am.

Who will deliver me from these sinful habits (Rom. 7:24)?

How can I be set free from these shackles so that I can freely serve God and grow in godliness?

The only answer I have is in verse 21 of our text where Paul says, 

“if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 

The only hope I have is to be cleansed from my sin.

The only way to be cleansed from my sin is to trust in the finished work of Christ at the bloody cross of calvary; to rest assured in Christ’s powerful victory in the empty tomb; and to stand in hope-filled expectation of Christ’s faithful promise to rescue me once and for all from this sin-infected life in eternity.

The gospel and the gospel alone, is what frees me to serve God and to grow in godliness so that I may be a serving dish; so that I may chase godliness; so that I may live my life to serve God and to serve him alone above all else. – Amen!

1 Timothy 6:11-16 New American Standard Bible

11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness , faith, love, [a]perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good  confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I direct you in the presence of God, who [b]gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without [c]fault or  reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [d]bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of [e]kings and Lord of [f]lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality, dwells in unapproachable light, whom [g]no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the full presence of many witnesses. 

Psalm 18:1-19 Names of God Bible

1 I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.
2 Yahweh is my rock and my Metsuda and my Savior,
    my El, my rock in whom I take refuge,
        my Magen, and the strength of my salvation,
            my stronghold.
3 Yahweh should be praised.
    I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death had become tangled around me.
    The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
5         The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
            The clutches of death had confronted me.

6 I called on Yahweh in my distress.
    I cried to my Elohim for help.
        He heard my voice from his temple,
            and my cry for help reached his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and quaked.
    Even the foundations of the mountains trembled.
        They shook violently because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
        Glowing coals flared up from it.
9 He spread apart the heavens
    and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
10 He rode on one of the angels[b] as he flew,
    and he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made the darkness his hiding place,
    the dark rain clouds his covering.
12 Out of the brightness in front of him,
    those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning.
13 Yahweh thundered in the heavens.
    Elyon made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them.
    He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 Then the ocean floor could be seen.
    The foundations of the earth were laid bare
        at your stern warning, O Yahweh,
        at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
    He pulled me out of the raging water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
        because they were too strong for me.
18 On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
    but Yahweh came to my defense.
19 He brought me out to a wide-open place.
    He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Confidence Rooted in Christ: In him and through faith in him we may all approach God with freedom and with confidence. Ephesians 3:8-13

Ephesians 3:8-13 Revised Standard Version

8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in[a] God who created all things; 10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to[b] lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In our success driven society which prizes self-confidence and a positive self-image, we might be tempted to think our relationship with God should make a priority of focusing on ourselves, our own needs, and our sense of self-worth.

But consider what happens when self-assured people pray to God.

People who believe their relationship with God is based in their own merit and their own interests will find prayer an empty ritual.

They tend to see little need for prayer, and don’t see the results they expect.

Prayers offered in our own strength rise no higher than the roof over our heads.

But as believers in Christ, we must always remember what God through Christ has accomplished for us.

The key to effective prayer?

To turn fully and completely away from an exclusive trust in our own selves to a total reliance on our Savior. [Proverbs 3:5-8]

“In [Jesus Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Jesus is the only mediator of our salvation and of all other dimensions of our relationship to God.

Our confidence is based on what Christ has accomplished!

Even when we struggle with doubt and sin, through Christ we have access to God the Father.

Paul eloquently describes that assurance in Romans 8:37-39:

Romans 8:37-39 Modern English Version

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, 39 neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Confidence Rooted in Christ or principalities and powers in the heavenly places?

Stirring ourselves up to be confident in ourselves is like riding a roller coaster, where one day we are on a high and feel good because someone affirmed us, and next we are on a deep-dive downward because someone said or did something that utterly shook our self- confidence to the core and swept us off our feet.

Unfortunately, our culture pushes us to act confident, even if we don’t feel it or believe it, to “fake it till we make it,” with the thinking behind this popular and trendy saying being that faking it is motivational, acting like we are confident when we are not, will automatically or by osmosis, help to build our confidence until we fool ourselves to believe it ourselves and able to achieve and reach it.

Sadly, we are pushed and prodded to hide our weaknesses and frailties, to prove ourselves confident in all that we do, to everyone around us; to show ourselves as smarter, stronger, and more productive than everyone else, in an effort to demonstrate our worth and value.

But with God, we do not have to prove ourselves to be “worthy” through performance.

Firstly, because we have no way to prove that we are worthy in ourselves.

Secondly, because we already belong to Him, so there’s nothing to prove.

It’s a waste of time, effort and energy to even try to do so, and completely unnecessary also.

God deems us worthy not because of anything we do on our own, but because of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

As Ephesians 2:8 explains, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Because it’s not because of anything we’ve done or are doing, as Hebrews 4:16 urges,

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

As well, we can come to God confident in the work of Christ on the cross, and not ourselves, rather than pretending we are holier than we are,

as Hebrews 10:19-22 encourages, 

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
  1. Where are you finding your confidence, in yourself or in God? Take some time to consider where you’re drawing it from.
  2. Look for ways to cultivate confidence in Christ through studying His word, spending time in prayer, and letting the truth of scripture strengthen your faith.
  3. Practice being rooted in confidence in Christ this coming week, by stepping out and approaching God, free from fear, knowing He loves you and is calling you to come before Him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …..

Psalm 92 New King James Version

Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

5 O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked [a]spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.
9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10 But my [b]horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be [c]fresh and [d]flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our salvation requires all of us to turn back to God and stop all of our silly futile efforts to save ourselves. Isaiah 30:15-17

Isaiah 30:15-17 New King James Version

15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”—
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!

17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a [a]pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

I believe that we need to return and rest. 

I used to read this verse as, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” 

We do need to repent. 

Repentance is turning our backs away from sin, but the idea here, from the words chosen, is that repenting is, is our returning; coming home to God.

We repent from sin and return to God. 

Repentance is returning.

The idea that Isaiah is speaking against, or the ailment for which he speaks the cure; is doing our own thing and not resting. 

And this is a word for believers.

The believers were in trouble. 

They needed deliverance. 

God gave them a way. 

And just as quickly they shouted, “no thanks.”

How can this be and how might we be like this?

  • They and we are believers who won’t repent.
    • Self-righteous.
    • Unbelieving believers.
    • We belong to God, but refuse to be transformed.
    • We are sheep without a shepherd, gone astray, to our own ways.
  • They and we could not and would not, under any circumstance rest.
    • We are too busy being obsessed with building our houses, our lives, our selves.
    • We are burned out and need renewal.
    • We are stale and need refreshing.
    • We are spiritually dead and need reviving.
    • We don’t, won’t hear God, because we won’t stop and listen long enough.
    • We are frustrated God won’t help us build, when He want’s us to let Him build.
  • They and we were constant talkers.
    • We have an opinion on everything and we are always right and righteous.
    • We have lost that listening is loving.
    • Our depths of quietness is our iron clad sign of faith.

I want to repent and return to God. 

I want to rest. 

And I want to be quiet.

But that is not our personality profile-it never has had any influence on my life.

What if we confess that His presence is always available to us, lifting our spirits, restoring our souls and behind the curtains is helping us with power and grace.?

Learning the infinite reaches, very finest art, of “stillness” so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.

trusting the rhythms of rest

In quietness and trust we find strength: smiling at the comparision to the recent uncertainty in my life, I glanced back. The unpredictability of which way the logs might shift kept me tentative as I crossed over the small stream.

Sometimes the Lord’s object lessons provide the perfect illustration; my experience with the instability of the logs exactly depicted the current state of uncertainty plaguing my life.

quietness and confidence of mind

What does it mean in quietness and confidence is our strength?

It really pays to be quiet and trust God. 

It slowly gets you deeper with God, even through more difficult situations.

Thanks be to God for His ministry of quietness and trust and with Christ.

There is this growing, maturing, deep down sensation of confidence, a palpable sensation of inner strength, of Holy Spirit sourced spiritual wellbeing .

Being able to spend more time with Christ without our thoughts wandering from planet to planet and from star to star, galaxy to galaxy and back again.

Perhaps our biggest challenge in uncertain times is starting that education, gaining strength of discipline and achieving a consistent quietness of mind.

Memory testifies to this truth, for an evening, though quite still in our favorite chair, our disquieted mind starts trying to unravel the chaos abiding there.

Culture in general places little value on quietness, rest and trust, especially as it relates to a spiritual posture.

Preferring instead fast paced internet connections, strength and confidence; lauding those who strive, acquire and conquer, obtain those immediate results.

In God’s Kingdom, however, the more we pursue quietness of mind, leaning far into God, the more certainty and confidence we find. 

For the effect of His righteousness will be His peace, His Shalom and the result of righteousness, quiet and trust forever. (Isaiah 32:17-20)

Isaiah 32:17-20 The Message

15-20 Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured
    down on us from above
And the badlands desert grows crops
    and the fertile fields become forests.
Justice will move into the badlands desert.
    Right will build a home in the fertile field.
And where there’s Right, there’ll be Peace
    and the progeny of Right: quiet lives and endless trust.
My people will live in a peaceful neighborhood—
    in safe houses, in quiet gardens.
The forest of your pride will be clear-cut,
    the city showing off your power leveled.
But you will enjoy a fortunate life,
    planting well-watered fields and gardens,
    with your farm animals grazing freely.

true sources of strength

In times of uncertainty we long for strength and confidence; yet we will seldom work to connect them with periods of quietness, rest and trust. True strength and confidence come when we hammer pause, step back and get clarity buttons.

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15

Sledge Hammering that Emergency Stop Button

At times when faced with mounting chaos in the form of rapid fire uncertainty, I shift into “slam it shut.” Uncertainty resembles psychological clutter, making us uncomfortable; prompting rushed attempts at removing that same clutter.

In that mounting chaos of uncertainty, hammering away at that Emergency Stop button until it breaks tells you enough is enough of “out of control.”

An intentional pause positions us for hearing instruction from God, strengthening our trust in Him for the unpredictable road ahead. 

Embracing rhythms of rest in times of unpredictability, introduces the power of God into the chaos.

Psalm 29

The Voice of the Lord

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,[a]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.[b]

3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above the vast water,
4 the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[c]
and strips the woodlands bare.
In his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Isaiah 30:15 reminds us in confidence, quietness, trust, we find strength in the power of God through all the promises found in throughout the Word of God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 61

Security in God
For the choir director: on stringed instruments. Of David.

1 God, hear my cry;
pay attention to my prayer.
2 I call to you from the ends of the earth
when my heart is without strength.
Lead me to a rock that is high above me,
3 for you have been a refuge for me,
a strong tower in the face of the enemy.
4 I will dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah

5 God, you have heard my vows;
you have given a heritage
to those who fear your name.
6 Add days to the king’s life;
may his years span many generations.
7 May he sit enthroned before God forever.
Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him.
8 Then I will continually sing of your name,
fulfilling my vows day by day.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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I am the Lord, God of all mankind. Is anything impossible for me? I am the Lord, God of all Creation! I will never be overshadowed by evil’s darkness. Jeremiah 32:17-27

Jeremiah 32:17-27 Revised Standard Version

17 ‘Ah Lord God! It is thou who hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thy outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for thee, 18 who showiest steadfast love to thousands, but dost requite the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed; whose eyes are open to all the ways of men, rewarding every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings; 20 who hast shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and hast made thee a name, as at this day. 21 Thou didst bring thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22 and thou gavest them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; 23 and they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey thy voice or walk in thy law; they did nothing of all thou didst command them to do. Therefore thou hast made all this evil come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What thou didst speak has come to pass, and behold, thou seest it. 25 Yet thou, O Lord God, hast said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”— though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

God’s Assurance of the People’s Return

26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Jeremiah 32:14 Revised Standard Version

14 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time.

Our Scripture for today describes a real-estate transaction.

Money is transferred from buyer to seller; witnesses and officials sign the transfer papers; there are multiple copies of documents and arrangements for preserving the documents.

This is not unlike what would still happen today in a land sale, except for a few things:

  • Jeremiah, the buyer, cannot take possession of the land because it’s behind enemy lines.
  • This real-estate closing is taking place in a Jerusalem prison, and Jeremiah is the prisoner.
  • Jeremiah knows (because God has revealed it to him) that his nation will not win against the enemy.
  • Will Jeremiah or his assigned heirs return in 70 years and prove ownership?
  • Will any of these legal document’s survive Jerusalem’s coming destruction?

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will destroy Jerusalem and exile the Israelites to a place a thousand miles away.

Indeed, Jeremiah the prophet is in prison because he has preached against the King and his advisors and has preached only what God has revealed to him.

There are moments when a situation grows so large that words begin to fail.

You have a compass in your hand and have thought it through, tried what you can, prayed what you know, still, it stands as reinforced concrete; unyielding, unmoved, perpetually mocking all of your strongest efforts.

You may not say it or scream it out loud, but something inside starts shrinking God to the size of the problem. 

You still believe God can do many things, but you quietly struggle and wonder if perhaps this one has crossed the line into the chasm rightly called impossible. 

Then Jeremiah opens his mouth, and what comes out gives a holy eruption of perspective: “Ah Lord GOD!” That “Ah” is the sound of a soul remembering.

It is the gasp of worship returning to the heart.

It is Jeremiah stepping out of the tight cage of human calculation and lifting his eyes to the One who cannot be measured.

“Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” 

He is facing a real crisis, yet he chooses to anchor himself in the truest reality that God is Creator- that absolutely nothing is impossible for God to complete.  

But God has also revealed through Jeremiah that after 70 years the people will return to build homes and farms in the land. Truly a long-term investment!

The theme of God’s unlimited power and sovereignty is a central motif in the book of Jeremiah.

Throughout the book, Jeremiah conveys the message that God is in control of all things, and nothing is beyond his ability to accomplish.

This theme is particularly significant in the context of the historical events surrounding the book of Jeremiah, where the people of Judah were facing the impending total sacking, destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon.

In the midst of this crisis, Jeremiah’s message serves as a reminder that God’s power is not limited by human circumstances, that he continuously remains in control even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is commanded by God to purchase a field in his hometown of Anatoth, even though the city was under murderous siege by the Babylonians and facing imminent destruction.

In the face of this seemingly illogical command, Jeremiah questions God, expressing his astonishment at the situation.

However, his doubt is quickly dispelled as he acknowledges the limitless power of God as was demonstrated in the creation of the heavens and the earth.

This acknowledgment leads Jeremiah to recognize that nothing is too difficult for God.

This verse encapsulates the central message of the book of Jeremiah, which is a covenant call to trust in the sovereignty and power of God, even in the midst of overwhelming circumstances.

If God can create, He can recreate.

If God can command light, He can command clarity.

If God can open wombs that nature said were closed, He can open doors that life says are shut.

If God can turn a wilderness into a meeting place, He can turn your dry season into a testimony.

The point is not that you will never face impossible things, but that impossible things are not meant to swallow you.

They are meant to push you into a deeper revelation of who God is.  

Today, don’t reduce your prayers to what feels realistic. 

Let your heart borrow Jeremiah’s “Ah” again, let worship rise where fear is resident.

Say it slowly and mean it: Lord, nothing is too difficult for You, my situation is not difficult for you.

Then place the situation back in His hands without keeping a corner of it for anxiety. Wait on Him with expectation, not because you understand His process, but because you know His nature; the God of all flesh is not limited. 

Still today, God calls us to live our lives and to devote ourselves and the gifts he has given us to long-term things—things that will last.

Isaiah 6:6-10 Revised Standard Version

6 Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

‘Hear and hear, but do not understand;
see and see, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people fat,
    and their ears heavy,
    and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”

And the number-one example of a definitive long-term investment that fits God’s plan is to make sure we, like Isaiah the Prophet, voluntarily give of our resources and our time and energy to help bring others into God’s kingdom.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

46 (0) For the leader. By the descendants of Korach. On ‘alamot [high-pitched musical instruments?]. A song:

2 (1) God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
3 (2) Therefore we are unafraid,
even if the earth gives way,
even if the mountains tumble
into the depths of the sea,
4 (3) even if its waters rage and foam,
and mountains shake at its turbulence. (Selah)

5 (4) There is a river whose streams
gladden the city of God,
the holy habitation of ‘Elyon —
6 (5) God is in the city.
It will not be moved —
when daybreak comes, God will help it.
7 (6) Nations were in turmoil,
kingdoms were moved;
his voice thundered forth,
and the earth melted away.

8 (7) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
9 (8) Come and see the works of Adonai,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth.
10 (9) To the ends of the earth he makes wars cease —
he breaks the bow, snaps the spear,
burns the shields in the fire.
11 (10) “Desist, and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.”

12 (11) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Tell God; do you understand praying all thanks be unto God for Creation’s miraculous depths of beauty beyond what the eye of mankind can behold? Job 38:1-7

Job 38:1-7 Common English Bible

The Lord answers from a whirlwind

38 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

2 Who is this darkening counsel
    with words lacking knowledge?
3 Prepare yourself like a man;
    I will interrogate you, and you will respond to me.

The establishing of order

4 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?
    Tell me if you know.
5 Who set its measurements? Surely you know.
    Who stretched a measuring tape on it?
6 On what were its footings sunk;
    who laid its cornerstone,
7     while the morning stars sang in unison
        and all the divine beings shouted?

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The opening chapters of Genesis teaches us just how the universe was created.

The Voice of God booming forth from the Whirlwind in the end of The Book of Job tells us that and much more.

God set the foundation of the universe, stretched out the measuring lines in the dawn of creation (when the morning stars sang together with all the heavenly host), but God is also very much still in the act of creation.

He knows where the storehouses of snow and hail are, where all the bolts of lightening gather before their use.

He carries the light of day to its place every morning, and then ushers it out again every night.

He helps the eagle soar, the lion roar, He watches over and tames Leviathan when it roils the deep waters.

God announces he is present in the terrific and the mundane.

God is everywhere.

Active.

Thoughtful.

Crafting the ebb and flow of creation, and each day’s journey.

But, why is this here?

Why in Job?

Literarily it serves as the answer to all of Job’s questions: 

Sit down you silly boy, you have no idea what’s going on in the universe around you. You have no idea Who it is that you’re talking to.

But, in a book about dealing with 1000/1000 magnitude of tragedy, and dealing with it in a truly faithful manner, it serves as a reminder of the Bigger Picture.

Yes, our problems matter.

And when we’re grieving and mourning, those who we mourn for matter.

Our tears are real.

Our pain is real.

Our confusion, denial, and anger are real.

But, we begin the process of healing when we re-engage the world around us.

When we pick up our heads and we look around at the vastness of earth, and the intricacies of life.

In the midst of grief we feel rudderless and beyond help.

Adrift.

Lost.

But, we aren’t.

The world still turns on its God assigned axis.

The sun still rises and sets.

God is still on his throne in heaven, and the mighty eagle still soars above.

The Whirlwind comes across as a reproach—in the context of Job’s narrative, that’s indeed what it is.

But, it’s more than that.

It’s the first dawn when we are lifted out of the fog, and remember that we’re in the Presence of God Almighty.

The God who created the heavens and the earth, and the God who still creates.

“Life is but a Weaving” (The Tapestry Poem) by Corrie ten Boom

February 21, 2018 by Jane Beal

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

Corrie ten Boom

“Life is but a Weaving” (The Tapestry Poem) by Corrie ten Boom

In this poem, the Dutch writer Corrie Ten Boom compares her life to a tapestry woven by God.

She says that God weaves both joy and sorrow into her life, and it is as though she sees only the back of the tapestry.

She says she cannot understand how the strands could ever make something beautiful.

But God understands and has a plan for how everything in her life will come together for his beautiful purpose.

Job, to whom God is speaking in our reading today, is a bit like that—seeing only the back of the tapestry of his life.

Job has had to deal with terrible suffering and tragedy, he does not understand why it all happened.

God responds with a poetic speech about the creation of the world.

God is the one who created everything, including things that are so mysterious that we don’t even know how to speak about them.

God reminds Job of this in order to both challenge and assure him.

God challenges Job to be humble about his own knowledge.

And God assures Job he has a plan, even though it may be hard to under­stand.

We are like Job in this way too.

There are many things about God’s purposes that we do not understand.

But God promises to provide for us and for the world he has beautifully made.

Psalm 23 Expanded Bible

The Lord the Shepherd

A psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
    I ·have everything I need [L will lack nothing].
2 He ·lets me rest [makes me lie down] in green pastures.
    He leads me to ·calm [quiet] water.
3 He ·gives me new strength [T renews my soul].
He leads me on paths that are ·right [righteous; or straight]
    for the ·good [sake] of his ·name [reputation].
4 Even if I walk through ·a very dark valley [or the shadow of death],
    I will ·not be afraid [T fear no evil],
because you are with me.
    Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.

5 You prepare a ·meal [L table] for me
    in ·front [the presence] of my enemies.
You ·pour oil of blessing on my head [anoint my head with oil; C oil was a means of refreshment in a hot, dry environment];
    you ·fill my cup to overflowing [L make my cup overflow; C a cup of blessing].
6 Surely your goodness and ·love [loyalty; T mercy] will ·be with [pursue; T follow] me
    all my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord ·forever [L for length of days].


In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 56:8-13 Expanded Bible

God,

8 You have ·recorded [recounted] my ·troubles [wanderings].
    You have ·kept a list of my tears [L put my tears in your bottle].
Aren’t they in your records?

9 On the day I call for help, my enemies will ·be defeated [L turn back].
    I know that God is on my side.
10 I praise God for his word to me;
    I praise the Lord for his word.
11 I ·trust [have confidence] in God. I will not be afraid.
    What can people do to me?

12 God, I must keep my ·promises [vows] to you.
    I will give you my ·offerings to thank you [thank offerings],
13 because you have ·saved [protected] me from death.
    You have kept ·me from being defeated [L my feet from falling].
So I will walk ·with [L in the presence of] God
    in light ·among [of] the living.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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He came from heaven to earth and He took on the status of a Slave so, if you have a heart, if you care, do not try to smart talk your way into all the very best of everything. Philippians 2:3-8

Philippians 2:3-8 Expanded Bible

3 When you do things, do not let ·selfishness [rivalry; selfish ambition] or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more ·honor [regard; value] to others than to yourselves. 4 Do not ·be interested only in your own life [look out for your own interests], but ·be interested in the lives of others [look out for others’ interests].

Be Unselfish like Christ

5 In your lives you must ·think and act like [have the same attitude as] Christ Jesus. [C What follows may be from an early Christian hymn.]

6 ·Christ himself was like God in everything [L Who, being in the form of God].
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be ·used for his own benefit [or grasped; seized; held on to].
7 But he ·gave up his place with God and made himself nothing [L emptied himself].
    He ·became like [L took the form of] a ·servant [slave; bondservant]
    and was born ·as a man [L in the likeness of humanity/men].
8 And ·when he was living [L being found in appearance/likeness] as a ·man [human being],
    he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
    even ·when that caused his [to the point of] death—death on a cross.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Consider Others More Significant Than Ourselves

Humility is almost a foreign word in today’s often self-centered world.

Our society today has a tendency to hyper focus on personal happiness and individual freedoms over the good of the community. 

Yet it wasn’t terribly different in the days Jesus walked the earth.

Back then, just as today, people scrambled to look after themselves and the needs of their families.

They sought to protect their own interests, and we know how many times Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and arrogance. 

Time and again, Jesus spoke out against the desire to put the self first — taking the best seat at the table or hosting parties knowing others would reciprocate, wearing fancy robes, lapping up adoration, gloating respect bestowed on them. 

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us we should strive to be humble, noting, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

The original Greek used for “meek” is praus, meaning being gentle of heart and behaving toward others with humility and consideration.

It is the very same thing Paul urges in his letter to the early church in Philippi.

In Philippians 2:3, Paul urges Christians,

3 When you do things, do not let ·selfishness [rivalry; selfish ambition] or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more ·honor [regard; value] to others than to yourselves.

What does this mean? How do we count others as more significant than ourselves, and why should we bother to do so?

In short, Paul is urging us in the same way Jesus did — and we should take his words to heart.

What Is Humility?

Humility is the essence of piety, according to the Encyclopedia of the Bible. The Dictionary of Bible Themes calls it an attitude of lowliness and obedience. Dictionary.com describes it as a modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance and rank.

In everyday terms, we can understand humility as understanding that we, on our own, aren’t of any special importance, nor are we better than anyone else. No matter our wealth, our physical attractiveness, our intelligence, our status, or any other manner in which we might compare ourselves to others (or even perhaps lift ourselves above others), we’re all on the same level. Indeed, in understanding this, we acknowledge our own low status even further, which helps us lift up others’ needs before our own and consider them as more important than ourselves. 

It’s the polar opposite of the messaging we often hear today that lifts up self-focus, self-confidence, self-concern, self-absorption, and self-indulgence.    

Here, Paul is telling us to be humble and consider others higher than ourselves. He’s telling us to act like a servant, not a master.

What Is the Context of This Verse?

In the previous chapter, Philippians 1, Paul urges the early church to live in a manner “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27) and also to be united, much like one body in perfect balance in the Holy Spirit, even in our suffering.

Now, in Philippians 2, he further urges the church to accomplish this by following Christ’s example of humility.

Be “of the same mind,” verse 2 says, rejecting selfish concerns, wants, or needs.

Be like Jesus, he said, and, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v. 4).

He’s echoing Christ’s words in Mark 12:31 to love your neighbor as yourself.

Then Paul goes further, giving us an example of how Christ modeled this for us.

As Paul said, even though Jesus was divine, God in fully human form, he didn’t act this way.

He acted like a humble slave, born a lowly man, humbling himself by serving others, and ultimately unto dying a horrific and humiliating death on a cross. 

That’s what our Savior did, and we need to study and pray and act to follow his example and be this way, too.

Jesus said about Considering Others as Greater Than Ourselves?

Jesus consistently modeled, demonstrated and taught humility throughout his earthly ministry, and this is Paul’s great point. 

Not only did Jesus lift up humility as a virtue in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), but he told us to be like children.

At that time in society, children were of little consequence and assigned the lowest status in society. 

Yet in Matthew 18, Jesus called a child over to him and told his disciples they must become like children — lowly. 

Jesus said,

Who Is the Greatest?

18 At that time the ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and stood the child before his ·followers [disciples]. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you must ·change [turn from your sins; convert; L turn] and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven [L therefore] is the one who makes himself humble [and becomes] like this [little] child.(Matthew 18:1-4).

Humility is a requirement for heaven.  

Later, he told them to hear the words of the Pharisees, but don’t behave like them and don’t exalt yourself, for we are all brothers and sisters.

As he said,

11 ·Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you [L The greatest among you will be your servant]. 12 Whoever ·makes himself great [lifts up/exalts himself] will be made humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be ·made great [exalted; lifted up].(Matthew 23:11-12).

Further, the night before his arrest, at the Last Supper, Jesus modeled humility by kneeling to wash the filthy feet of his twelve disciples.

John 13:4-8Expanded Bible

4 So ·during the meal [L from supper] Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the ·followers’ [disciples’] feet, ·drying [wiping] them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [C This act was considered so demeaning by some people that they only allowed Gentile slaves to do it.]

6 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”

8 Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you ·are not one of my people [L have no share/part with me].”

His followers were shocked, and Peter objected at first, but Jesus insisted on performing this subservient act.

Then he asked if they understood what he had done, explaining,

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:13-17).

How Can We Have Humility Today?

Humility starts within.

First, understand God is the most important, the highest.

God is our ruler and king, now and forever. We belong to him.

Then, understand what that looks like in our relationship to him.

We are blessed to receive his gift of salvation and are not entitled to this.

We do not deserve it and cannot possibly achieve it on our own.

Recognize and confess our wrongdoings and shortcomings.

Recognize we are not God and never will be. 

Finally, in honor of this, model Jesus, even knowing we will never achieve this goal.

Sacrifice yourself for others.

Share what you have.

Give generously of your money, your time, and your talents. 

Don’t boast or celebrate your accomplishments.

Serve and help others.

Lift them higher than yourself.

Share your food and your clothing, your money and your home.

Share even if you risk hardship.

Understand that we are all one, and nothing belongs to me alone. 

Listen well, ask questions, admit when you’re wrong, and don’t worry about your status or earning respect.

Save respect for the only one worthy: the Lord.  

Pray how you can apply all of this to your own life, in whatever setting you work or live.

If we are truly followers of Christ, we are obligated to behave like him.

Jesus behaved with humility, and we must, too, whatever that looks like.

Amen, and thanks be to God for all God’s precious and perfect gifts.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Micah 6:1-8 Expanded Bible

The Lord’s Case

6 Now hear what the Lord says:

“Get up; plead ·your [or my] case in front of the mountains;
    let the hills hear your ·story [L voice].
2 Mountains, listen to the Lord’s ·legal case [accusation; indictment].
    ·Strong [Enduring] foundations of the earth, listen.
The Lord has a ·legal case [accusation; indictment] against his people,
    and he will ·accuse [contend with] Israel.”

3 He says, “My people, what did I do to you?
    How ·did I make you tired of me [have I wearied you]?
    ·Tell [Answer] me.
4 I brought you from the land of Egypt [Ex. 12:51]
    and ·freed [redeemed] you from slavery;
    I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam [Ex. 15:20] to you.
5 My people, remember
    the evil plans of Balak king of Moab [Num. 22:5]
    and what Balaam son of Beor told Balak [Num. 22–24].
Remember what happened from Acacia to Gilgal [Josh. 3:1; 4:19–24]
    so that you will know the ·Lord does what is right [righteousness/justice of the Lord]!”

6 You say, “What can I bring with me
    when I come before the Lord,
    when I bow before ·God on high [the exalted God]?
Should I come before him with burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17],
    with year-old calves?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand ·male sheep [rams]?
    Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Should I give my ·first child [firstborn] for ·the evil I have done [my transgression]?
    Should I give ·my very own child [L the fruit of my body] for ·my sin [L the sin of my soul]?”
8 The Lord has told you, ·human [T O man], what is good;
    he has told you what ·he wants [the Lord requires] from you:
to do what is ·right to other people [just],
    love ·being kind to others [mercy; lovingkindness],
and ·live humbly, obeying [walk humbly with] your God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Praying for when we are tempted to think much too highly of ourselves: story of the tax man and the Pharisee. Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9-14 Expanded Bible

Being Right with God

9 Jesus told this ·story [parable] to some people who ·thought they were very good [were confident of their own righteousness] and ·looked down on [scorned; despised] everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the Temple [courts] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector [C despised by their fellow Jews because they worked for the hated Romans and were notorious for extortion]. 11 The Pharisee ·stood alone and prayed [or stood and prayed about himself], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—thieves, ·cheaters [evildoers; unrighteous people], adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week [C Pharisees commonly fasted on Monday and Thursday], and I ·give one-tenth of [pay tithes on] everything I get!’

13 “[L But] The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even ·look up  [L raise his eyes] to heaven. But he beat on his chest [C a sign of sorrow and remorse] and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, when this man went home, he was ·right with God [justified], ·but the Pharisee was not [L rather than that (other) man]. [L Because] All who ·make themselves great [exalt themselves] will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be ·made great [exalted].”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (also called the publican) is a surprising story full of plot twists and rich spiritual truths.

The meaning of Luke 18:9-14 is one that we shouldn’t ignore. 

The problem is we often miss the shocking nature of this parable because it’s become so commonplace. We tend to immediately associate the Pharisees with being self-righteous hypocrites and tax collectors as the model of righteous. 

But in Jesus’ day it was reversed. It was the Pharisees who were the models of righteousness and the tax collectors who epitomized sinners. When Jesus told this parable it was a shock to his audience and surely made a lasting impact. 

Let’s take a fresh look at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and see how the Luke 18:9-14 meaning applies to our life today. 

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a parable of two contrasting prayers from two very different people. 

Luke tells us up front:

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable.”

This parable is about pride and humility. 

Now, the audience is likely expecting the Pharisee to be the prime example of what we would look like. After all, no one expected the low-life tax collector who betrayed his own people for money to be the prime example to follow. 

But Jesus is about to shock his audience. 

The Pharisee’s Prayer

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed:

“God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” Luke 18:10-12

Look very closely at this prayer that the Pharisee prayed, who’s he praying to?

He’s not praying to God, he’s praying to himself. 

The Pharisees considered themselves worthy of God’s grace based off their religious performance. They thought they earned the right to demean others and to make demands. And this prayer shows this self-righteous attitude. 

In Luke 18:11 he’s demeaning others so that he can elevate himself.

Even going so far to point out a particular person around him, the tax collector.

He thinks he’s better than them. 

In the next verse he reports all the wonderful things he does.

He fasts twice a week and gives a tenth of all he gets.

He’s showing off, bragging. 

The Old Testament Law only required a fast once a year.

But the Pharisees fasted twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

But really this is just a ploy to attract attention to themselves.

These were the days the market convened and many people came to town.

They were just showing off.

And the Pharisee in this parable is proud of his religious piousness. 

His entire prayer centers around how great he considers himself to be and how low class and terrible everyone else is, especially the traitorous tax collector.

If you count it up he uses the pronoun “I” five times in this prayer.

His prayer is all about himself.

The Tax Collector’s Prayer

Nobody in Jesus’ day would expect a tax collector to be the optimum example for anything good.

They were considered the lowest of the low. 

When the Romans invaded they set up a tax collecting system that leveraged Jews to collect taxes on their own people.

The deal was you sent Rome their tax and then you were allowed to keep an additional amount you chose to collect.

This lead to tax collectors getting rich by effectively stealing from their own people.

To say they were hated is too mild. 

But Jesus flips the script.

Look at the tax collectors prayer:

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Luke 18:13

His prayer is a stark contrast from the Pharisee’s prayer.

He stands at a distance and refuses to assume the normal posture of prayer of looking to heaven, as the Pharisee did.

The tax collector recognizes his unworthiness and is like a child who knows he’s in trouble and refuses to look his parents in the eyes. 

While the Pharisee used his prayer to beat down others, the tax collector beats his own chest, further showing that he fully understands his own sinfulness. 

And when the tax collector prays he doesn’t pray to himself, he prays to God.

It’s a simple prayer in which he recognizes his only hope is for God to save him. 

The Pharisee used his prayer to elevate himself as the righteous.

The tax collector used his prayer to humble himself as the sinner. 

In this parable Jesus describes two very different prayer attitudes.

At the temple, where he went to pray, the Pharisee felt right at home.

This was where he belonged, of course, and anyone listening to his prayer would be duly impressed, right?

But the Pharisee did not come to pray to God; he came to talk about himself.

He did not come to thank God for his grace, mercy, and forgiveness; he came to declare how glad he was that he was not like other people.

He followed all the prescribed religious duties and always gave a tenth of what he made.

Compared to others, the Pharisee seemed nearly perfect.

God had to be pleased with him, right?

Certainly he was much better than that tax collector standing “at a distance.”

But Jesus quickly set the record straight.

The Pharisee went home just as he had come, unrepentant and full of himself.

But the tax collector went home forgiven and justified.

What matters to the Lord is not how good we think we are, how much we give, or how ­often we go to church.

What matters is our prayer attitude—that we ­realize our need for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Only then will we be justified.

Before you approach God in worship today, or before you spend anytime with the Lord God at home, ask yourself, “What is my attitude before the Lord?”

Who Do You Relate To? 

We have a tendency to think higher of ourselves than we ought to.

We see ourselves through rose-colored glasses.

But the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector forces us to take off those glasses and see who we really are. 

So, who are you more like?

The Pharisee and his pride or the tax collector and his humility? 

The Pharisee’s Pride 

The Pharisee’s prayer is all about himself.

His pride oozes out of his prayer.

It’s plain to see that the only one he cares about is himself. 

And he gets exactly what he asks for. NOTHING. 

Look at your prayers.

Who are they about?

Who are they to?

Maybe they aren’t as obviously prideful as the Pharisee’s obnoxious prayer, but what are they centered around? 

I find in my life that my prayers tend to drift towards myself if I’m not careful.

I naturally head towards pride if I don’t set the course for humility. 

How about for you?

Is there pride seeping into your prayers? 

The Tax Collector’s Humility

The tax collector in contrast understood his sinfulness and unworthiness.

He understood that on his own he had no hope. 

The irony of the story is the Pharisee was in the same boat.

While he might look good on the outside he was just as sinful on the inside (Matthew 23:25).

Matthew 23:25 Expanded Bible

25 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You ·wash [clean] the outside of your cups and dishes [C for ceremonial purity], but inside they are full of ·things you got by cheating others and by pleasing only yourselves [L greed/robbery and self-indulgence].

The Pharisee needed mercy too.

But he couldn’t get past his pride to see his need. 

We all need God’s mercy and grace.

But unless we humble ourselves we will never see it OR receive it. 

Rather than justifying our sin and comparing ourselves to others we need to come to God with humility.

And when we do that God will not just forgive us he will exalt us. 

So, one final time.

Who do you relate to?

The meaning of Luke 18:9-14 asks us this questions.

Spend some time praying about how you can take the tax collector’s posture and rid yourself of the Pharisee’s pride. 


In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

Praise to the Lord of Love

Of David.

103 ·All that I am [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
    ·everything in me [L all my inward parts], ·praise [bless] his holy name.
2 ·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord
    and do not forget all his ·kindnesses [gifts; benefits].
3 He forgives all ·my [or your] ·sins [iniquity]
    and heals all ·my [or your] ·diseases [ills].
4 He ·saves [redeems] ·my [or your] life from the ·grave [L pit]
    and ·loads [or crowns] ·me [or you] with ·love [loyalty] and ·mercy [compassion].
5 He satisfies ·me [or you] with good things [L as long as you live; or according to your desires]
    and ·makes me young again [L renews your youth], like the eagle [Is. 40:31].

6 The Lord does what is ·right [righteous] and ·fair [just]
    for all who are ·wronged by others [oppressed; exploited].
7 He ·showed [revealed] his ways to Moses [Ex. 34:5–7]
    and his deeds to the ·people [sons] of Israel.
8 The Lord shows ·mercy [compassion] and ·is kind [grace].
    He ·does not become angry quickly [is slow to anger], and he has great ·love [loyalty; 86:15; 145:8–9; Ex. 34:6–7; Neh. 9:17. 31; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2].
9 He will not always ·accuse [charge; contend with] us,
    and he will not ·be angry forever [L keep watch forever].
10 He ·has not punished us as our sins should be punished [L does not act toward us according to our sins];
    he has not repaid us ·for the evil we have done [L according to our iniquity].
11 As high as the ·sky [heaven] is above the earth,
    so great is his ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7].
12 He has taken our ·sins [transgressions] away from us
    as far as the east is from west.
13 The Lord has ·mercy [compassion] on those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
    as a father has ·mercy [compassion] on his children.
14 He knows how we were ·made [formed];
    he remembers that we are dust [Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Job 4:19; 10:9; 34:15; Eccl. 3:20; 12:7].

15 Human ·life [L days] is like grass [90:5–6; Is. 51:12];
    we ·grow [sprout; flourish] like a flower in the field [Job 14:2; Is. 40:6–7].
16 After the wind ·blows [passes by], ·the flower [L it] is gone,
    and ·there is no sign of where it was [L no one can recognize its place].
17 But the Lord’s ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7]
    continues forever and ever,
    and his ·goodness [righteousness] continues to their ·grandchildren [L children’s children]
18 and to those who ·keep [observe; guard] his ·agreement [covenant; treaty; Ex. 19–24]
    and who remember to ·obey [L do] his ·orders [precepts].

19 The Lord has ·set [established] his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over everything [93:1; 96:10; 99:1].
20 You who are his ·angels [or messengers], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
    You are the mighty warriors who do what he says
    and who ·obey [listen to] his voice.
21 You, his ·armies [hosts; C perhaps the angelic army], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
    you are his ·servants [ministers] who do what he ·wants [desires].
22 Everything the Lord has made
    should ·praise [bless] him in all the places he rules.
·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

“Lord, I confess! I am so unsettled by nagging fears and doubts.” When it is far too hard to trust God in all those day to day worst case circumstances. Genesis 15:1-7

Genesis 15:1-7 English Standard Version

God’s Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord  came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son[b] shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

How much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
That question is something God has really been challenging me on recently.

I mean, when you look at the Scripture as a whole, it is one long test of faith and trust after another. ⁠
⁠
Adam and Eve, don’t eat from this one tree. Do you trust me? ⁠
⁠
Noah, build a boat the size of a football stadium. Do you trust me? ⁠
⁠
Abraham, leave your native land and go to the land I will show you. Oh, and I want you to sacrifice your son too. Do you trust me?⁠
⁠
Joseph, be a good slave and prisoner and you’ll eventually be a ruler. Do you trust me? ⁠
⁠
I’m not even out of Genesis yet. Moses, Gideon, Hannah, David, Esther, Daniel, Jeremiah, Mary, Jesus, Paul. Over and over and again. How much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
Then last week I was reading in 1 Samuel to prepare for our small group and I read about Samuel telling Eli some horrible news from God about him and his family. Basically, that God was going to wipe them out for their disobedience. ⁠
⁠
1 Samuel 3:18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the LORD’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”⁠
⁠
Wow! “Let Him do what He thinks is best.” Now, I don’t know if that was said in apathy or sadness, acceptance, surrender, either way, God is God and I am not! ⁠
⁠
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. ⁠
⁠
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.⁠
⁠
The reality is just that: God is in heaven and He does as He pleases. ⁠
⁠
The greatness of God is that He always does what He knows is good. Always! ⁠
⁠
Not everything that happens is caused by God, but everything God causes is always good! ⁠
⁠
So, how much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
That no matter what He asks me to do. No matter where He asks me to go. No matter what He asks me to sacrifice. No matter what He says is coming my way. Am I willing to say, “It is the LORD’s will. Let him do what he thinks best.”?
⁠
How much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
How much do you? ⁠
⁠
I want to trust Him with ALL my heart! ⁠

But …

However, …

Despite having great faith, Abra­ham could still be unsettled by nagging fears and doubts.

That is why, in the opening of Genesis 15, God says to him,

“Do not be afraid. . . . I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Abraham was struggling to believe. God’s promise to make him the father of a great nation was now about ten years old, and he and Sarai did not have a child.

Could you, Would you, Should you, Will you, still trust God?⁠

We all know the pain of promises unfulfilled; they can leave an aching void in our hearts and homes.

Perhaps we follow God’s call and step out in faith.

We risk something for his kingdom, but we don’t see the hoped-for results.

At times like that, it can be hard to keep trusting in God.

Like the psalmist we cry out, “How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).

The good news is that God understands our doubts and fears.

He graciously responds to the prayer that says, “Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.

Help me trust you more—even when I don’t see or understand your ways, even when it seems to be taking so long” (see Mark 9:24).

God explains that his ways are higher than we can imagine (Isaiah 55:9).

And his timing is impeccable—never early, ­never late.

Trusting in these truths allows us to experience God’s peace and rest.

Contemplate ….

Psalm 13 English Standard Version

How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Still, “How can I know if this will actually come true … ?”

Genesis 15:8 Expanded Bible

8 But Abram said, “Lord God, how can I · be sure [L know] that I will ·own this land [possess/inherit it]?”

“How can I know … ?”

Whatever age we are, we can all think of a time when we wanted to be sure of something.

We have all wanted someone to repeat a promise they’ve made or to make clear what is still not certain.

Abram asked God to affirm his promises one more time. While our reading today confirms that Abram believed, it’s also clear that he asked for certainty.

Is it all right to ask God to repeat his promises, or make clear what seems cloudy?

We may not immediately receive an answer from the Lord, but one thing we can be sure of is that God understands we are like young inquisitive children on a long bus journey to the zoo, who will inevitably ask, “Mom, are we there yet?”

God shows his patience with Abram, and we can be sure God is patient with us.

What is the source of certainty, the key to the promise?

In this conversation, God not only repeats his promise to Abram but also makes clear that in this covenant arrangement the key is our own trust in God himself.

Instead of asking Abram to walk between the halves of the animals, God moves through them as pictured by a smoking firepot and a blazing torch.

God explains Abram’s descendants will be enslaved and mistreated for a time but that they will also prosper and will eventually have all the land Abram could see around him. And God would be with them always–ever faithful, ever sure.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 16 Expanded Bible

The Lord Takes Care of His People
A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.

16 ·Protect [Guard] me, God,
    because I ·trust [take refuge] in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
    ·Every good thing I have comes from you [I have no good apart from you].”
3 As for the ·godly people [holy ones; saints] in the ·world [or land],
    they are the ·wonderful [noble] ones I ·enjoy [take pleasure in].
4 But those who ·turn to [run/hurry after] ·idols [other gods]
    ·will have much [multiply] pain.
I will not ·offer [pour out offerings of] blood to those idols
    or even ·speak [L take on my lips] their names.

5 No, the Lord is ·all I need [L my portion and my cup].
    ·He takes care of me [L You hold my lot; C a device like the Urim and Thummim whereby God reveals one’s future; Ex. 28:30].
6 ·My share in life has been pleasant [L The boundary lines fall for me in pleasant places];
    my ·part [inheritance] has been beautiful.

7 I ·praise [bless] the Lord because he advises me.
    Even at night, ·I feel his leading [L my innards instruct me].
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
    Because he is ·close by my side [L at my right hand],
    I will not be ·hurt [L moved; Acts 2:25].
9 So ·I rejoice and am glad [L my heart exults and my glory/soul/or innards is glad].
    Even my body ·has hope [dwells securely; Acts 2:26],
10 because you will not ·leave [abandon] me in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol].
    You will not let your ·holy one [saint; loyal one] ·rot [L see the Pit; C the grave; Acts 2:27; 13:35].
11 You will teach me ·how to live a holy [L the path of] life.
    ·Being with you will fill me with joy [L In your face/presence is the fullness of joy; Acts 2:28];
at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Make Insight Your Priority! Pray for a Curious Mind. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. Proverbs 2:1-5

Proverbs 2:1-5 Expanded Bible

Rewards of Wisdom

2 My ·child [or son], ·listen to [grasp] what I say
    and ·remember [L store up] what I command you.
2 ·Listen carefully [L Bend your ear] to wisdom;
    ·set your mind on [L stretch your heart to] understanding.
3 Cry out for wisdom,
    and ·beg [shout out loud] for understanding.
4 ·Search [Seek] for it like silver,
    and ·hunt [search] for it like hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand ·respect [fear; awe; 1:7] for the Lord,
    and you will find ·that you know God [the knowledge of God].

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

A subtle, amusing illustration of a group of church elders, and Rabbi’s tired and weary from a lengthy two day discussion; Joshua before the Walls of Jericho.

Finally, one of them throws his arms into the air and suggests, “I don’t care how the walls of Jericho crumbled down. I move we have it rebuilt stone by stone and just make a resolution to take the funds from the facilities budget.

Most Sunday school students know who “broke the wall of Jericho” and what God said about it (see Joshua 6).

Yet, considering its subtle point, the illustration reminds us that our biblical knowledge is declining today even where church attendance may be booming.

Who is still curious enough to plumb the depths of the Word of God? Storing up God’s commands, turning both of our ears to his wisdom does not, nor will not, come naturally.

It takes a disciplined program of regular prayer, Bible reading and reflection.

Living as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must make an authentic effort to learn, learn from God’s Word—its context, his words and its covenant commands.

Wise living in our technologically complex, internet, AI, social media driven “no God allowed” education systems calls for serious reading of Scripture.

It requires our learning details about the life of Jesus as told in the gospels.

Learning what Jesus said and did will make us appreciate his ultimate sacrifice.

It will encourage us to imitate his life, de­voted to obeying his Father’s will.

A wise and curious heart and a knowledgeable walk are pleasant to the soul and will truly yield eternal blessings.

Can a true disciple in 2026 desire anything less?

Do we?

Human beings are naturally curious, but that God-given sense of curiosity does get cast off along the way to our adulthood when those responsibilities pile up.

As an adult, it may seem like you don’t have enough time to be curious – even though you do wonder about a lot of things. 

But God never meant for you to stop being curious. 

Proverbs 2 describes that someone who cries out for insight and searches for understanding, like a person seeking hidden treasure.

That shows the power of a curious mind at work as it seeks God.

Knowing God better only happens when you want to learn because you’re curious. Curiosity inspires you to ask questions instead of settling for easy answers, so you can keep right on learning more about God. 

A curious mind can strengthen your faith.

God invites you to seek, to search, and to discover.

He isn’t threatened by your questions, offended by your desire to understand.

When you wonder about God and his work in the world, you’re responding to an invitation God has already given you.

God wants you to keep seeking him, keep asking, no matter how long you’ve been in a relationship with him.

He encourages you to seek him, and promises that you’ll find him.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 Expanded Bible

10 This is what the Lord says: “·Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to [L Only after the seventy years of Babylon are filled will I visit;  25:11] you, and I will ·keep my promise [L confirm my good word] to ·bring  [restore] you back to ·Jerusalem [L this place]. 11 I say this because I know ·what [L the plans] I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have ·good plans for you [L plans for your peace/security], not plans ·to hurt you [L for your harm]. I will give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call ·my name [L me]. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me [Dan. 9:4–19]! 14 I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back from your captivity [restore your fortunes]. I ·forced you to leave [drove you from] this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have ·sent you as captives [exiled you],” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back [restore you]  to this place.” 

You can never stop being amazed by who God is!

So, keep your mind curious as you go through each day.

Read the Bible with a sense of curiosity, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what each passage means for you, and how to apply it to your life.

Pay attention to the world around you and notice the evidence you see of God’s creativity, order, and care.

Every time you find something that points you to the reality of God at work in your life – His love spread by faithful people, or something inspiring in nature such as a sunset or fish swimming, birds singing, butterflies fluttering around your backyard – let that motivate you to stay curious and to keep seeking God.

The more you seek God with an ever more curious mind and a devoted heart, the more you’ll be able to find him. 

Proverbs 2:3-5 also reminds you that seeking wisdom takes time and effort.

The passage tells you to call out for insight, to cry aloud for understanding, and to search for knowledge of God like hidden treasure.

Curiosity is active, not passive.

You have to choose to open your Bible instead of reading something that’s a lot less valuable.

You have to choose to listen to new information rather than assume you already know everything there is to know about something.

You also have to choose to reflect on what God might be teaching you through all of your daily experiences, and to keep asking God’s Spirit your unanswered questions until he answers them, in his timing. 

But all of your effort is worthwhile.

God promises that when you seek to learn more about him like you’re seeking treasure, you will find the knowledge of him.

You’ll find more than just facts about God, but a deeper understanding of who God is.

You’ll start to see God’s character more clearly and notice his faithfulness in new ways. 

A curious mind also keeps your faith alive when you’re dealing with challenges.

When a situation you’re going through doesn’t make sense, curiosity helps you ask better questions.

Instead of just asking why the situation is happening, you can ask what God is revealing about himself through it, and what you can learn through it that will help you grow spiritually. 

Seeking God day by day with a curious mind will always lead you to learn something new about him.

Even while you do, though, you’ll also learn how much there still is to discover.

God’s wisdom is infinite, so you’ll never reach the end of it.

There is always more to learn about God! 

Well, isn’t there?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Praying …..

Psalm 19 Expanded Bible

God’s Works and Word
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

19 The heavens ·declare [recount; narrate] the glory [C the manifest presence] of God,
    and the ·skies [firmament; dome; Gen. 1:6] ·announce [speak out] ·what his hands have made [L the works of his hands].
2 Day after day they ·tell the story [L bubble/pour forth speech];
    night after night they ·tell it again [L declare knowledge].
3 They have no speech or words;
    they have no voice to be heard.
4 But their ·message [L line] goes out through all the world;
    their words go ·everywhere on [L to the ends of the] earth.
·The sky [Heaven; L In them] is like a ·home [L tent] for the sun.
5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his ·bedroom [L wedding chamber].
    It rejoices like an ·athlete [strong man] eager to run a race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the ·sky [heavens]
    and ·follows its path [L its circuit is] to the other end.
Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The ·teachings [laws; instructions] of the Lord are perfect;
    they ·give new strength [T revive the soul].
The ·rules [testimonies] of the Lord ·can be trusted [are faithful/sure];
    they make ·plain [simpleminded; immature] people wise [Prov. 1:4].
8 The orders of the Lord are ·right [virtuous];
    ·they make people happy [L rejoicing the heart].
The commands of the Lord are pure;
    ·they light up the way [L giving light to the eyes].
9 ·Respect [Fear] for the Lord [Prov. 1:7] is ·good [pure];
    it will ·last [endure] forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true;
    they are ·completely [altogether] ·right [righteous].
10 They are ·worth [desired; coveted] more than gold,
    even ·the purest [fine] gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even the ·finest honey [L droppings of the honeycomb].
11 By them your servant is warned.
    ·Keeping [Observing] them brings great reward.

12 ·People cannot [L Who can…?] ·see [detect; L understand] their own ·mistakes [errors].
    ·Forgive [Clear] me for my ·secret [hidden] sins.
13 ·Keep me [L Restrain your servant] from ·the sins of pride [proud thoughts];
    don’t let them ·rule [dominate] me.
Then I can be pure
    and innocent of the greatest of sins.

14 ·I hope my ·words [L The words of my mouth] and ·thoughts [meditations of my heart] ·please [L be before] you.
Lord, you are my Rock, ·the one who saves me [L and my redeemer].

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now. Do not let me quit on You! Psalm 138

Psalm 138 Complete Jewish Bible

138 (0) By David:

(1) I give you thanks with all my heart.
Not to idols, but to you I sing praise.
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth;
    for you have made your word [even] greater
    than the whole of your reputation.
3 When I called, you answered me,
you made me bold and strong.

4 All the kings of the earth will thank you, Adonai,
when they hear the words you have spoken.
5 They will sing about Adonai’s ways,
“Great is the glory of Adonai!”
6 For though Adonai is high, he cares for the lowly;
while the proud he perceives from afar.

7 You keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
you put out your hand when my enemies rage;
with your right hand you save me.
8 Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your grace, Adonai, continues forever.
Don’t abandon the work of your hands!

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Most of us get excited to start something new.

Keeping that excitement in the middle of that project as it grows in complexity, is what potentially wears us down – then to keep on going and reach that goal of a finished product becomes less a priority and we put it away for another day.

Usually, there may be at least one unfinished project somewhere in our lives.

Undoubtedly, confession or no confession, many of us have too many to count.

God’s not like that.

He finishes what He begins, no matter how much time it will take.

That includes each of us.

Philippians 1:3-6 Christian Standard Bible

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[a] 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you[b] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

He will ‘bring to an end’ – which is what ‘perfect’ means i n the Hebrew – work and labor which is about what His Plan desires from us to grow His Kingdom on earth, spread the Gospel, and He will not forsake the work He has started in us.

Of course, you can also highly desire those things outside of God’s will for you.

He does not help with those things, but works either around them, or though them, to bring you closer to Himself.

That is always His goal – to bring us closer to Himself, either here in this life, and certainly, in the eternal life.

God created humanity to labor in His Garden, harvest the first fruits of His love and when our work is accomplished on earth to go and live with Him in heaven.

Sin, because of our selfish human desires, complicated that original goal, but God has worked so His original goal is still possible – our eternal life with Him.

We are always major works in progress, but we will not be unfinished projects—because His love endures forever. Jesus’s life, death and resurrection shows that God keeps going in the middle of this project that is us seeing Him face-to-face.

You don’t have to worry – God will fulfill His purpose for you!

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – Psalm 138:8

Read Psalm 138:8: (Click on the verse to read it in various translations.)

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” ESV

What a powerful declaration!

The psalmist acknowledges that God has a specific purpose for his life, and he expresses his unwavering faith that the Lord will see it through to completion.

This verse reminds us; each of us has a unique purpose and calling in this world.

Our lives have meaning and significance in the grand tapestry of God’s plan, and because God’s great love for us endures forever, we can have confidence that faithfully, He will never forsake that sacred work He has begun in our lives.

It is important to note that God’s purpose for our lives may not always match up with our own expectations or desires.

Sometimes, we may face challenges, setbacks, or detours along the way.

But even in those moments, don’t worry, you can take heart in the truth that God’s purpose remains unshakable.

He is not limited by our circumstances or hindered by our failures.

In fact, He often works through them to shape you and me, teach us, and ultimately bring His vision of our future reality which is His perfect plan.

This past year I have wrestled with the idea that God accomplishes His purpose and His plan, His way, without my help.

I thought my labor was to help Him achieve His plan for me and my family.

But He clearly showed me that is not the case!

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing far more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

We labor in His fields tilling up those soils which are classed as impossible.

No matter how long it will take to do it, new ground will be made ready for planting, previously impossible will transformed into new opportunities.

Do you ever wrestle with this notion too?

Matthew 9:35-38 Christian Standard Bible

The Lord of the Harvest

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[a]  disease and every sickness.[b][c] 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Do you find it hard to remain still, plant yourself in your brand new Lazy Boy recliner, as the God of the universe (Elohim) works out His purpose in your life?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen ….

Praying …..

Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.

1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”[b]
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.

5 Lord, you are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d]
8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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