Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
19 So then those who were scattered because of the [a]persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way [b]to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the [c]Greeks also, [d]preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The [e]news about them [f]reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off [g]to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and [h]witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with [i]resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable [j]numbers were [k]brought to the Lord.
The 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.
“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”[1]
1 William Cowper, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1773).
In the life of the early church, it was the persecution of the congregations in Jerusalem—the only churches on earth at that point—that caused the gospel message to reach further and faster than would have happened without those first Christians being forced to flee their city.
As the believers were scattered throughout the cities of Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, the gospel was spread to the “Hellenists”—the Greeks—in the region, and we read in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles that many came to believe.
However, we also read that when news of these Gentile conversions got back to the church in Jerusalem, it was not immediately welcome.
Up until that point, the gospel’s expansion had been almost entirely among the Jews-now the word was coming back that Greeks were becoming Christians too.
This confronted the church with a new development that they were not quite ready for.
What was happening?
Should they smile at it or frown over it?
Who could they send to handle an encounter such as this?
It should not surprise us that they chose to send Barnabas.
While not everybody in the church can cope with new, different opportunities, Barnabas was an encourager and a man who recognized God’s redeeming work in others, even when it was surprising or strange (see Acts 9:26-28).
Sure enough, Barnabas recognized that what had happened to the Hellenists was the work of the Lord, and he expressed gladness at the display of God’s grace, encouraging the new believers with the exhortation we all need: to just continue in the grace of and to remain resolute, true to God with all our hearts.
If we have lived our lives attempting to channel the Spirit of God into our own little concrete trenches, having determined that this way or that place is the only one in which God will work, we should reconsider what God’s Word says.
As God always continues to expand His kingdom and always pours His Spirit out upon the people we least expect to be included in it, we have the opportunity to respond with the kind of resolute enthusiasm that Barnabas here exemplified.
While the gospel message is unchanging, our world and times are changing constantly-yet God always continues to call people to Himself “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).
We should always expect Him to surprise us—to work in ways we had not predicted and in a time-frame that is always going to be different from ours.
And when He does, we need to be ready to be like Barnabas, “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24), rejoicing in the new works of God, always ready to be a part of them, and always encouraging others to continue in His grace.
The Lord’s Mysterious Powerful Hand
Acts 11:19-21 English Standard Version
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists[a] also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The Jewish leaders hoped that by persecuting the church of Jesus Christ, they would extinguish people’s faith in him.
But persecution caused the Christian faith to spread like wildfire.
Believers who were scattered did not leave their faith behind in Jerusalem.
Wherever they went, they talked about their newly found faith in Jesus Christ.
And we read that by the Grace of God – “a great number of people believed.”
What was the reason for this widespread growth of the church?
Our reading for today, Acts 11:21 says that “the Lord’s hand was with them.”
The same is true for us today.
The mission of the church is to spread the good news of Jesus all over the world.
But how do we do that?
In whose name and whose power are we trying to win the world for Christ?
Today we too often put so much emphasis on programs, facilities, strategic planning, other church-growth strategies we often forget the most important “strategy” in evangelism, church growth: it is the power of the hand of God.
How can we expect lasting results if our presentation of the gospel is based on our own strength and planning?
Only if we resolutely choose, we decide to live and directly, steadfastly serve our neighbors under the power of the Lord’s hand can we be effective tools of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Dear Lord, as we come before you today, we ask that you open our eyes to see the encouragement and grace that you have bestowed upon us. May we be filled with gladness and joy as we witness your love and mercy in our lives. We pray that you would give us the strength and courage to remain steadfast in our faith, with a total purpose of heart to always remain near to you. Help us to seek you in all that we do, and to trust in your guidance and wisdom. May we be a light to others, sharing your grace and love with those around us. We ask all of this in your holy name, Amen.
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.
16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be [a]complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The 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 kingdom of God is eternal.
It’s the ultimate reality, when everything will be good at last.
Surprisingly, though, the kingdom is also right here, right now—wherever Jesus is present in the flesh or by the Spirit.
We can see that in Matthew 19.
A rich man who comes to talk with Jesus is very interested in having eternal life—that is, life in the kingdom of God.
But does he really want that kind of life?
When Jesus tells the man, “Sell everything, give to the poor, and follow me,” the man can’t do it.
He can’t take those three steps.
It’s really hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
That’s what Jesus says.
And He means more than entering the eternal kingdom in the future.
He also means living the way of the kingdom right here, right now.
Among other things, the way of the kingdom is selfless and generous.
And the way of the kingdom includes deeply trusting in God to meet every need.
Sadly, the rich man in this story wasn’t ready to live that way.
Not here, not now.
How about us?
Are we ready to live the way of the kingdom here and now?
If not, will you want to live that way in eternity?
Jesus is emphatic: It is extremely difficult for the rich to embrace the radical call of discipleship in the Kingdom of God.
Yes! Jesus is very emphatic with the rich folk, does mean that we who are not counted among the rich will automatically have it that much easier experience?
No! but salvation does not depend on our ability, but on God’s generous grace.
The key point for us, however, is to be reminded about the dangers of wealth and possessions, reminded that discipleship requires great sacrifice from all.
They can become our god, our stumbling block, our choking point, our diversion, and our downfall if they become the things we cannot give up to follow Jesus-from our vantage point, following Jesus’ radical call is impossible.
25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Fortunately, God has provided the Holy Spirit and fellow-Christians.
We all need the guidance of the Spirit and the strength of a dedicated Christian community to yield to Jesus’ call in all areas of our lives, including using our wealth or our poverty and our abundance, lack of possessions to serve others.
A Widow’s Gift
Mark 12:41-44 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Widow’s Mite
41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting [a]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came 0and put in two [b]small copper coins, which amount to a [c]cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [d]the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their [e]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, [f]all she had to live on.”
Who is the most generous giver today?
You’ve likely heard of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who runs the largest foundation in the world.
You may also know about the generosity of Warren Buffet, who pledged the largest stock donation ever.
Today’s major philanthropists are very rich, their names are very well known.
But when Mark writes about giving, he draws our attention to someone who is poor, nameless, and a widow.
On her way to the temple treasury she follows some wealthy and seemingly generous people.
And guess what?
Jesus says she makes the most generous donation!
He wanted his disciples to see that somehow her gift of two small copper coins amounting to about 1 cent is much more generous than the gifts of the wealthy.
We don’t have to be rich to make a generous donation for the Lord.
True giving means more than simply opening our wallet or writing a big check.
It’s about unlocking the safety deposit boxes of our hearts to God first and then fully trusting him in everything, including our financial well-being or lack of it.
Jesus expects us to be generous when serving him, and he has every right to demand that.
Just a few days after he met the widow, out of his poverty, Jesus gave up his life-his blood-the most generous and loving act of sacrificial giving in all of history.
That’s why he rejoiced about the impoverished widow’s “all I got” generosity.
We can believe he was very grateful for the surplus generosity of the rich folks.
That’s how he calls us to Kingdom Living-to be habitually generous, sacrificial.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Our ABBA Father, we praise you for your generous gift of salvation through your Son. Give us the generous spirit of that widow as we live to pour out our gratitude to you.
Only living and Almighty God, I want to worship you with my will, my heart, my words, my hands, my feet and my possessions and my service and money. Please help me to use those incredible blessings you have poured into my life for your glory and the blessing of others. In the name of Jesus, the greatest of all gifts, I pray. Amen.
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.
Colossians 3:15-17 New American Standard Bible 1995
15 Let the peace of Christ [a]rule in your hearts, to which [b]indeed you were called in one body; and [c]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [d]Christ richly dwell within you, [e]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [f]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [g]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
The 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 other day the wife heard someone ask another person, “What do you do?”
The person answered by saying, “Oh, I’m just a housewife.”
Perhaps you too have heard someone say, “I’m just a farmer,” or “I’m just a secretary,” or “I’m just a factory worker,” or “I’m just a country preacher.”
In any culture we have our rankings, and our sense of worth is often measured by the work we do.
The more impressive your career, larger your resume, the more letters of the alphabet after your name, the belief is then the more “important” you are.
Celebrities especially get lots of attention when something happens in their lives.
It is indeed a good and wonderful thing to achieve high levels of success – it so means you have worked hard, studied hard, sacrificed much to make your goals in life come alive in your life – that you could make and be a difference maker.
The reality is though, that is not everybody’s story and we can easily become rather discouraged and angry at ourselves and others for their success story.
Thankfully the Word of God for His Children does not measure our worth by how high we have climbed the social ladder or how much education we have.
In Colossians 3:17 we read, “Whatever you do in word or deed do it all in the name of the LordJesus.”
When life on earth comes to an end, what matters is not how high we climbed, but whether we were faithful to the Lord in whatever calling we pursued.
The Word of God from Colossians 3:15-17 says that counts in God’s Kingdom; whether we clothed ourselves with wisdom, gratitude, compassion, humility, patience, and peace and other simple fruitful signs of Christ’s work in our lives.
Thanks be to God our Father that these many diverse signs of fruitfulness are within everyone’s reach no matter what the station in life we find ourselves.
We all have roles to play in the Kingdom of God.
God has something for every single one of His Children to do in His Kingdom.
To the glory of God the Father, there is always going to be mission and ministry.
The Good News is this: today, each and every single one of us have work to do.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, when the apostle Paul instructed the church to welcome Timothy warmly into their community, it wasn’t because young Timothy was trying to make a name for himself, held some honorific or title, or was seeking to become noteworthy.
No, it was simply because young Timothy was called to be “doing the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 16:10).
1 Corinthians 16:7-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; 9 for a wide door [a]for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without [b]cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 So let no one despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren.
The Lord’s work is anything on which we might lay our hands or focus our minds or devote our lives to that is pleasing to God, as we work for Him rather than in order to impress others (Colossians 3:23).
Colossians 3:22-24 New American Standard Bible 1995
22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters [a]on earth, not with [b] external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work [c]heartily, as for the Lord [d] rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [e]of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
This can be within the body of Christ or in service to the world around us.
Paul purposefully includes the phrase “whatever you do” in verse 17 and again here in verse 23.
The “whatever” of Christian service means that in all our endeavors, to the glory of God, in our Savior Jesus’ name and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we should seek to position ourselves to be effectively involved in gospel ministry.
Whether we are helping a neighbor with meals or getting to appointments, or greeting visitors who come through the doors of our church, or volunteering in the community, every type of service is an opportunity to point others to God.
What a privilege it is to know that we were placed here on earth to be involved in seeing unbelieving people become committed followers of Jesus Christ!
Within the body of Christ, we should recognize that our spiritual growth is a result of others’ service to the Lord.
Paul rightly viewed the Corinthians as the result of his labor in Christ’s name, writing, “Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1).
The very existence of the church in Corinth was due to the fact that the apostle was doing the Lord’s work for which Paul was neither irrelevant nor pre-eminent; rather, he was purposefully appointed to a specific responsibility.
As Christians, we are called not simply to sit and learn but to grow and go, to fish and feed.
God has a place for us, God appoints every believer to particular responsibilities within Christian ministry, mission and service, and all of those responsibilities include working for Him in whatever circumstances and opportunities come our way today; for they do not come by chance but by His divine arrangement.
Saul/Paul admirably modeled this to us through his obedience to God’s call, recognizing that he was “a chosen instrument” who would carry God’s name “before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
The work of the Lord was something Paul took seriously.
We should too.
We are all called to honor God wherever we are.
Consider what might change in how you think and what you do if in every moment you asked yourself, “Now, what would Jesus have me do here?
How can I glorify His name and bring Him honor in this exact moment?”
Today, and everyday, you have the privilege of having work to do for Him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained; 4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the [g]beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
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.
35 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 [a]Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [b]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [c]afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The 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.
Anyone who has lived for much time at all knows that in life storms will surely come – these are not just the blizzards of winter or thunderous rains of spring.
Sometimes, other kinds of “thunder storms” make their presence felt and then seemingly out of nowhere, we are faced with an unexpected loss, be it our jobs, be it our marriages, a long standing BFF, a grim diagnosis, the painful passing of a loved one, or the sorrow of goodbyes – perhaps we are all here right now.
Looking for answers, looking for some kind of greater truth to sort out the host of negative thoughts, prayerfully turning first to our Bibles, to the Word of God for His Children, we pray to the Holy Spirit for any direction to locate our Jesus.
Mark 4:35-41 New King James Version
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace,[a] be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How[b]is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Like the disciples caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, going from calm to the storm we can feel overwhelmed by these trials, as if our boat were sinking.
Mark 4:35-36 Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus’ Followers See His Power
35 That day, at evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Come with me across the lake.” 36 So they left the crowd behind and went with Jesus in the boat he was already in. There were also other boats that went with them.
Hearing the Word of God, convincing our hearts and souls toward listening to and choosing to follow Jesus does not insulate us from life’s storms, but we can take comfort from knowing that God promises to hold us fast through them.
He can give rest to our hearts, He may even quiet the very storms themselves.
Mark 4:37-39 Easy-to-Read Version
37 A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. 38 Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”
39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.
When storms come, we are often tempted to panic first, lose sight of our senses, freeze – or stumble over ourselves, watch the boat fill with water, to doubt God.
The thoroughly panicked disciples, most of them well trained fisherman, quite knowledgeable about the ways of the seas, hard questioned the ability of Jesus to care about them, even though they had each seen His miracles firsthand.
They looked Jesus in the eye with their souls, and they shared meals with Him every day—but when the storm arose, their raging souls took to panic stations of unbelief as if they’d forgotten who He was or what He was capable of doing.
Don’t we often find ourselves there too? As soon as the turbulence hits—as soon as life’s winds and waves rise—our doubts and weaknesses burst forth, and we forget who it is who dwells within us and what He is capable of doing.
God does not prevent storms from coming.
A sleeping Jesus did not prevent the storms from coming, from threatening the very lives of the disciples in his boat nor the lives of everyone else who followed.
But God is a God who is both present through them and sovereign over them.
Jesus not only stayed with the disciples during the storm, stood up in the face of the raging storm but, calmly, quietly, He displayed His full power by calming it.
John 1:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Deity of Jesus Christ
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 [a]He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [b]comprehend it.
As God, in the beginning, He was there, He had created the very sea itself.
Why would the sea, resting or raging, ever be a problem for Him?
Mark 4:40-41 New American Standard Bible 1995
40 And He said to them, “Why are you [a]afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Did Jesus deliberately want them to become fearful?
Did Jesus intentionally want to test their so called confidence in themselves?
We are all quick to admit our allegedly high degree, measures of self confidence.
Our typical mindset is too often “we can be self assured” that we “always know what we are doing and can get through the day and any situation so long as we are not confronted by that moment of sudden upheaval we will survive the day.
But, sometimes, even for us, too, even circumstances that seem hopeless and insurmountable unfold exactly as He has planned – will we notice our Jesus?.
When difficulties, fear, pain persist, we can trust Him to give us a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and bring us through to a place of calm, whether it arrives in this life or only beyond the final tempest of death.
Reading this passage, the first question storming out of our mouths, then should not be “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?
The question, then, is also not “Will storms come in my life?” They surely will.
Rather, we must ask, “When the storms come, will I believe that Jesus Christ is able to deal with them—and will I let Him do that?”
He can lift the clouds of doubt fogging our minds.
He can mend broken hearts.
He can soothe our longings for love.
He can revive weary spirits. He can calm anxious souls.
When we read the Word of God, reassure ourselves with His truth, we see Jesus as the Creator of the universe, the one who calmed the sea, as the one in whom everything holds together, then we too can experience the calming of the storm.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 107:23-32 New American Standard Bible 1995
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters; 24 They have seen the works of the Lord, And His [a]wonders in the deep. 25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves [b]of the sea. 26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery. 27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, And [c]were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. 29 He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves [d]of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they were quiet, So He guided them to their desired haven. 31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His [e]wonders to the sons of men! 32 Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
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.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” 10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.
The 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.
So 1 Chronicles 4:10 is a verse that has been used in a variety of ways and even abused in a variety of ways, taken out of context and applied in ways that are maybe, at best, questionable.
But the reality is, this is a beautiful verse, a picture of one man, Jabez, calling boldly upon God, asking for God’s blessing in his life.
“Oh God, that you would bless me, that you would enlarge my border.”
Even praying that is an acknowledgement that every good thing we have or could have comes from God and that God is our father in heaven.
And God delights in giving His children good things when they ask.
However, there are some observations we should consider about this prayer.
As we read his prayer, it seems rather selfish at first; it’s all centered on him.
“Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”
There’s a great deal of the word “me“ in there.
But if we look closer at this, especially in light of Jabez’s painful background, I believe we can see that this is not a self-centered prayer; it’s an agonizing plea for God’s help because of the deep consciousness of his own deep inadequacy.
“I need help,” he’s saying.
He’s saying, Oh God, amid all this sorry tale of shame and sin and Godlessness that is my background, “Lord, do something for me.”
“Take me out of this, remove me from this situation, help me in it, deliver me.”
It’s obvious that as Jabez prays, there’s an awareness of his need for provision.
Here is a humble young man who has grasped the fact that prosperity comes only from God; that things in themselves are of no value unless God gives them to us; that if we attempt to get them apart from Him, they become a curse to us.
And so Jabez prays,
“Lord, in everything in my life, enter into it and bless it, and make it not a curse but a blessing to me, and enlarge me, be with me, for thou are the key to life.”
There’s also an awareness of his need for protection.
He says, “Keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”
He is referring back to that blight on the family character, some hereditary weakness perhaps, that plagued him and threatened him as it threatens his brothers.
He says, “Lord, I recognize my fear in the face of this thing. How can I escape this debilitating power in my life that threatens to degenerate and disintegrate my personality as it did in my father and in my brothers?“
He’s praying for protection against this thing, and believes there could be a greater lesson learned than the fact that the world in which we live is so silken in its subtlety, that we all are exposed in the weakness of our heredity to these disintegrating forces which will certainly seize upon us, unless we rest in the protecting grace of God and here is am ancient young man who discovered that.
God heard Jabez and answered his prayer.
Here is a young lad who from his birth began on the wrong side of the tracks, but over time and prayer he gained wisdom and he found his answer in God.
Life is utterly meaningless if we do not discover that God is the secret to its meaningfulness; that, as I found with my heart surgery, life may be suddenly altered in its course, when its course and direction are suddenly changed.
Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
We are now committed to following God wherever He leads.
That is the secret to the fulfillment and the enrichment of life, and that is one of the valuable lessons that the Prayer of Jabez has here for us.
1 Chronicles 4:10 also Teaches Us How to Pray
This is exactly what Jesus teaches about prayer.
So it is good to pray that God, our father, would bless us.
“Bless me, enlarge my border,” Jabez prays, “that your hand might be with me.”
What a great prayer to pray.
We should want to pray that all-encompassing prayer every day, that the hand of God might be with us, His hand is the only one leading us and guiding us and the only one which is directing us and the only protecting us and is blessing us.
And we should want to pray this over our life, our family’s, our spouses, and our children, grandchildren, neighbors, the members of the church we are a part of.
I am praying that right now, in just this exact moment, over all of us, that God’s hand might be with us – and that He would keep us from harm – that our God in heaven would expand our territories, expand the reaches of all our sanctuaries.
What a picture of looking to God as our protector.
Jesus taught us to pray like this, to pray to our Father in Heaven who desires to give His ultimate forgiveness to us, for all His grace and His mercy in our lives.
That God would, as Shepherd, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.
Pray Boldly And Humbly
And 1 Chronicles 4:10 says after Jabez prayed this, God granted what he asked.
Why not, be as Jabez, be bold, be forthcoming, be honest, have integrity, in asking before God, obviously fully trusting that He is a lot wiser than we are?
And if we ask for something that would not be good for us, that he will not give it because he is a loving Father.
Hebrews 4:14-16 New American Standard Bible 1995
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
But it’s good to boldly come before God and ask Him.
According to his Word, it’s what this whole prayer of Jabez is based on, praying in the Word, asking for what God has said in His Word, and for things that are on our hearts before our loving, generous Heavenly Father.
So how bold are you in your asking in prayer right now in your life?
And please be emboldened, encouraged, inspired, based on 1 Chronicles, 4:10, to be forthcoming, be honest, humbled, needy, before God, our generous Father.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth, [e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol; Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures 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.
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [a]eloquent, neither [b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [c]slow of speech and [d]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [e]send the message by whomever You will.”
The 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.
Perhaps we have heard of Roger Bannister.
For years, experts said that it was impossible for a human to run a mile in less than four minutes.
And they appeared to be right, that is until 1954, when a young medical student proved them all wrong.
They had told him his heart would explode, but young Roger didn’t believe that.
He believed he could, and even had a special pair of lightweight leather shoes made to help him run.
When the shoemaker asked him how long he would need them, he responded “not very long…less than 4 minutes!”
That’s the power of believing in yourself!
You won’t always hear it from the pulpit, you wont always hear or have it taught in any bible study but I deeply believe that God expects each of us to develop a healthy measure of self assurance, self-confidence, self esteem, of self worth.
When God spoke miraculously from a burning bush and called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, listen to how the aged Moses first responded:
Exodus 4:10 New American Standard Bible 1995
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [a]eloquent, neither [b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [c]slow of speech and [d]slow of tongue.”
Exodus 4:13 New American Standard Bible 1995
13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [a]sendthe message by whomever You will.”
We might think God would be impressed by those humble responses; that Moses was showing himself to be truly humble. But we would be wrong!
The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.
Exodus 4:14 New American Standard Bible 1995
Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece
14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [a]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Why was that? Because he didn’t believe in himself, even when God clearly did.
Exodus 4:11-12 New American Standard Bible 1995
11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.”
God expected Moses to have faith that God is all he needed to succeed; and God likewise in these modern times expects us to respond in faith and belief as well.
When we don’t believe in ourselves, we are diminishing and questioning the quality of God’s handiwork.
Psalm 139:14-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
14 I will give thanks to You, for [a]I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My [b]frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
It’s not a sin to believe in yourself; it’s an expectation of the Creator God who formed you in His own image and likeness, filled you with His Holy Spirit, and has perfectly equipped you to perform every good work created for you to walk in. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:1.)
In truth, we ought to believe it is a sin to not believe in yourself!
There are many Christians who think they are being humble, but they are simply listening to the voice of the adversary.
They are deceived about their identity in Christ, thinking they are just inadequate, insignificant, and therefore unable to succeed.
And because they see a predominance of failure in their future, such a measure of failure they don’t, wont even try to do the things God has called them to do.
In order to develop the faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6), we should first look into God’s mirror at ourselves and hear His voice on the matter:
James 1:22-25 New American Standard Bible 1995
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [a]natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [c]an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in [d]what he does.
When you read and meditate on God’s Word, you will learn to hear the voice of God speaking to you, giving you a true picture of who you really are in Christ:
1. Understand That We Are All Originals and Unique
Ephesians 2:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [a]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10 New Living Translation
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
What is a masterpiece?
The very best work of an artist!
It also describes a piece of art that earns recognition; a work of genius, one of a kind.
In other words, you are not an accident or an experiment, you are a work of genius that deserves recognition.
Anything that is a duplicate does not have the same value as an original, and does not qualify as a masterpiece.
What’s the point?
In order for you to truly believe in yourself, you need to celebrate your God created uniqueness as His masterpiece!
Allow your significance and originality to define you, not confine you.
Discover your uncommon message born from your unique purpose and begin to increase the significance of that message.
Since you are God’s creation and not an accident, your very existence on this planet is proof that the world needs that special something that God gave to you – so celebrate it, as God does – and never compare yourself with anyone else.
When you compare yourself against others, your self perception will become skewed; you will either get an unrealistic sense of inferiority, or an equally unrealistic idea of superiority – neither of these circumstances is ever true.
Your measure of success is not how you are doing compared to someone else, it’s how you are doing compared to what God intends for you to accomplish!
2. Understand That You Are Priceless
Many people think that the value of a work of art is determined by what others will pay for it.
There is some measure of truth in that, but I think the better understanding is that the true value of a thing is determined by what the master artist is willing to sell it for!
If someone is offered millions, even billions, for the purchase of a particular piece of art, say the Mona Lisa, and yet says, Sorry, not for sale, never for sale, then that item is actually absolutely priceless to them.
And here is the truth about us – when sin entered the world, Satan’s deception stole us away from our Father, the Master.
But there is even more deeper truth we can witness to from Peter who lost all of his confidence in himself when he refused to publicly acknowledge being with Jesus in the courtyard three times, looked into Jesus’ eyes and so betrayed Him. (Matthew 26:69-75)
Then Peter got his confidence back as he shared some very intimate time with the resurrected Jesus by the seashore. (The Love Motivation – John 21:15-17)
Peter admonished the followers to “Prepare your minds for action, be sober in spirit and fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, to not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, … but like the Holy One … be holy yourselves also in all your behaviors …” because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
God does not lack any confidence in Himself and neither did Jesus, His Son.
Peter recognized that self confidence which Jesus publicly exhibited as he wrote to the Jewish followers the ultimate ransom required for our return would be our testimony, the testimony of the priceless blood of the Son of God himself:
1 Peter 1:13-19 New American Standard Bible 1995
13 Therefore, [a]prepare your minds for action, [b]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace [c]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As [d]obedient children, do not [e]be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but [f]like the Holy One who called you, [g]be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not [h]redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
In other words, God said to the enemy… we are all priceless and not for sale!
Yes, we are all a 100% priceless, original creation.
When we start seeing ourselves as such, we will too start believing in ourselves!
3. Understand We Are Each Bursting with Potential
Potential is a dormant ability, reserved power, untapped strength, unused success, hidden talents, and uncapped capability -it’s all you could ever be, including what you have yet to become and the things you have not yet done.
It’s the length of your reach, before you have begun to stretch; it’s how far you can go, before you’ve even started to pack for the trip, topped off the gas tank!
Potential is unexposed ability and latent power, and you are overflowing with it.
Moreover, you are all full of max potential the Kingdom of God is desperately waiting to experience.
John 14:10-14 New American Standard Bible 1995
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will doit.
How can we begin to understand and access our potential?
Realize the potential of a thing is related to its source.
We know that a tree can never be more than a tree, because it comes from a tree; a dog can never be more than a dog, because it comes from a dog, etc.
In other words, the potential of a thing is directly related to its source.
In fact, it is the source of a thing which ultimately determines the capacity of its potential.
Fortunately, the book of Genesis tells us who our source is:
Genesis 1:26-28 New American Standard Bible 1995
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [a]sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [b]sky and over every living thing that [c]moves on the earth.”
Knowing this then, that the potential of a thing is related to its source, and that our source is God, we know that our potential is actually unlimited because our source is unlimited!
To access your potential, you must stay connected to your Source!
A grape vine is an interesting plant.
The vine, which is the thick wooden part running from the ground up the pole, is the only part of the plant that contains life ability.
None of the life of the plant is found in the branches, or those little green tendrils on the side with the grapes hanging from them.
If you were to break one of those green branches off and plant it in the ground, it would wither and die because there is no life ability in it.
Each small branch depends on life flowing up from the vine, to survive.
And as Jesus said:
John 15:5-7New American Standard Bible 1995
5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
In order for us to realize our full potential, we must stay connected to our Source – God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit – otherwise yes, we will all fall short.
But if we stay connected, we can indeed accomplish much.
That’s who we are.
As odd as it may seem to the natural mind, the fact is we are a child of Almighty God, and we have each been created with the potential to do powerful things.
When we are connected to the Source, we have our Heavenly Father’s ability on the inside of us to do every good work He has destined for each one of us to do.
4. Understand What God Sees Is Completely True
God doesn’t see like man sees.
God sees the diamond in the rough, the potential amidst the problem, the prize at the bottom of the cracker jack box.
It is not what you or anyone else sees that actually matters, but what God sees.
He sees the end from the beginning of our lives, knows our potential even when we’re not acting like it, are faithless, are off track, or have no track record at all!
When we focus on these temporary things, we have a hard time believing in ourselves and in also accepting that we are what God sees and says we are.
But the fact is – God knows better! He knows exactly who He created us to be.
And that’s the message we will get when we look into the mirror of God’s Word.
God always believes in us, and therefore, we must also believe in ourselves.
In the name of God, theFather and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth, [e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol; Nor will You [j]allow Your[k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures 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.
7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
The 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.
As Christians, we are encouraged to love one another which includes ourselves.
So in a world where love is defined in many different ways, who better to look at and follow His example than God, who is love (1 John 4:8)?
Like 1 John 4:16 explains, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 John 4:7-10 New King James Version
Knowing God Through Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Please, in this moment, stop what you are thinking about to take a few seconds or minutes and think about all the undefinable depths of love Jesus has for you.
Depending on the day, the time of day, circumstances of the day, perhaps you feel a barrier, because we may know all too well, how we often fail, falter, take our eyes off our King, and at times maybe even want nothing to do with Him.
But God is here to tell all of us right now that in those exact moments, Christ’s all-encompassing love is yet all the more present and there to sustain you!
For He has chosen all of us, though we each will fail, called each of us His own, though we will certainly falter, that we all have a place at His table even when our gaze is not perfectly fixed and laser focused on the divine host.
So, in the coming moments, in the hours, days ahead do think about how Christ’s love for you is like a consuming ocean you cannot swim away from.
Do think about that He is the greatest joy in times of both defeat and triumph.
Do think about that He is your deepest comfort, hope, in your most trying of sorrows. Oh, what love he has for his children…Oh, what love he has for you!
So, now is as good a time as any, join me in praising God, for His persistent love.
Praise God, that He continually reveals to us what love is even right now.
Praise God, that he first loved us which enables us to, therefore, go and love on others exactly where they are.
So today, remainder of this week, continually, let there be no shortage of love from the children of God especially during the times we are all experiencing.
Ask Jesus right now, to reveal to you how to love others through you as He has so graciously, so indelibly, covered you in his love.
Love Others First– but be sure to include yourself because you matter to God.
For many, love is a reciprocal response.
Someone loves us, so we love them back.
This all started with God, as 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because He first loved us.”
So what if, like God, we just start loving other people first?
So, what if, like God, while loving others, we also included ourselves – first?
Often this is easier said than done.
Especially if, maybe like me, you’ve experienced a time when someone decided they just didn’t like you or when that someone was YOU not loving yourself.
In these cases, we usually don’t know why or what is the reason behind their feelings or even our own feelings for that matter.
When something like this happens, we can choose to overlook their attitudes toward us and love them anyway.
Sometimes our unconditional love will win them over, but sometimes it doesn’t.
Still, that’s the risk we take when we choose to love others first.
In these situations, we get a taste, a very small glimpse of what God has been dealing with down through the ages in loving those who don’t love Him back.
In everyday life, we’re given countless opportunities to step out and love others in our homes, churches, workplaces, and communities.
We have countless opportunities where we can choose to even overlook our own feelings in the matter-considering God’s love for His own Son through the ages.
Love others and ourselves Even When It’s Messy
God knows loving men and women in their sins is pretty messy.
God knows exactly how well we love others, how well we will love others.
God knows how well we love ourselves, how well we will love ourselves.
But, God cuts through all that messiness with this indelible truth …
Romans 5:8 explains, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Likewise, parenthood helps many men and women understand how God could love us in our messes.
It’s also good training ground for learning how to love others in their disarray.
All around the world, moms and dads face unpleasant scenarios in taking care of children.
From diaper disasters, food mishaps, exploring incidents, and more, parents push through the chaos to keep loving and caring for their children.
Likewise, loving others can be messy, especially when walking through various situations with them that are uncomfortable, unpleasant, or inconvenient.
Love others and ourselves Sacrificially
Real-life TV shows of love, romance, and marriage often give insight into how individuals view love and what they believe loving one another involves.
Frequently when a prospective bride or groom is asked how they fell in love with the other person, his or her answer involves how the other person’s love makes them a better person or feel special and loved.
But what if once married, the other person stops making them feel like a better person – what happens if they stop feeling loved by their spouse or children?
For many couples, whether married for a few years or longer, with children or not, they start to realize that love isn’t about how a spouse makes us feel but rather establishing just what costs are we willing to pay to show them love.
Are we willing to give up our pride, selfishness, resources, plans, and more if needed to love our husband or wife or dare to go ahead, including ourselves?
John 3:16 describes the high cost God was willing to pay to demonstrate His love to us “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God demonstrated the high cost of loving others and how to love sacrificially.
He deliberately, intentionally, paid the ultimate price to prove His love to us.
As the Author, Creator, and only Source of love, He modeled what it means to express love to those around us by loving us first, loving us in our messiness of our breakdowns, break ups, faults, failures and sin, and loving us sacrificially.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are you willing to lovingly reach out to others this week?
Are we willing enough, daring too, to lovingly reach out to ourselves this week?
If so, ask God to help you love others, being sure to include loving yourself like He loves you by loving self and them first, sacrificially, and in their messiness.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New King James Version
The Lord the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not [a]want. 2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures; He leads me beside the [c]still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will [d]dwell in the house of the Lord [e]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.
10 When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God.
The 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.
Habits of Faith
Spiritual disciplines can be an important part of our finding God through the fog of our lives.
That’s what helped sustain Daniel in his faith.
A spiritual discipline is a habit that people develop to deepen their relationship with God.
Personal devotions may combine one or more disciplines into a daily routine: praise, worship, prayer, Bible reading, and perhaps meditation or journaling.
Other spiritual disciplines may include joining together for worship or studying the Bible in a small group.
The discipline of fasting can help us rediscover what really feeds us, and the discipline of tithing our share can help us all recall who really pays our bills.
Spiritual disciplines help us to practice finding God during times when the fog has cleared.
It’s hard to find God in a moment of panic, but it’s much easier if we’ve already developed a daily pattern of centering ourselves in Him.
It’s easier to release our worries to God at the end of a tough day if we have learned to release every other day to him in an evening prayer.
And it’s a lot less difficult to remain steadfast to God’s call when you have been serving Him in a deliberate and intentional way for months or even for years.
When you encounter a sudden fog bank in life, it can be almost impossible to figure out how to find God in the midst of it all.
Spiritual disciplines help us to reorient us so we can find God’s strength and peace, even in the thickest fog.
What Does Daniel 6:10 Teach Us?
What does Daniel 6 10 teach us?
One of the things it teaches us is that Daniel was committed to serve God even if he was going to suffer for it.
For Daniel, a daily habit of his humbling himself, giving thanks to God was not something that was dispensable.
Daniel is committed to give God thanks even if it was going to cost him his life.
He considered it the single greatest commitment, the single greatest discipline to serve His great God.
Habit of Faith: A Commitment to Prayer
Daniel 6:10 Amplified Bible
10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he went into his house (now in his roof chamber his windows were open toward Jerusalem); he continued to get down on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
Making that short-termed commitment is not too hard.
It is moving that short termed commitment into that disciplined consistency that comes harder to us—yet it is an essential key to mature spiritual growth.
The often sporadic nature of our commitment is seen in short-lived exercise programs, Bible memorization, reading plans, and New Year’s resolutions.
How many of us start something well, only to later abandon it!
But equally, you and I have probably encountered people who are incredibly consistent and disciplined.
They arrive at work, they walk their dog at the exact same time every day or collect their mail with such precise timing that you could set your watch by it; and when they set themselves to undertake a task or learn a new skill, they do so with a diligence that leaves you in no doubt that they will surely complete it.
“he continued to get down on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” Daniel was a man who had exhibited such disciplined consistency when it came to his prayer life.
His life was not marked by bursts of enthusiasm followed by chronic inertia.
He clearly prayed whether he felt like it or not.
There were probably times when he got up from his knees feeling really blessed and other times when he left feeling really flat, but in spite of it all, he kept on.
He prayed and he prayed and he prayed, no matter the circumstances.
That’s discipline!
When a crisis hit, it didn’t create Daniel’s disciplined lifestyle; it revealed it.
After King Darius issued an edict that made it illegal to pray to any god or man other than him for thirty days (Daniel 6:7), Daniel could have rationalized his obedience to the king rather than to the Lord.
He could have reasoned that because he’d stored up such phenomenal credit on the strength of all his years of prayer, he could be let off for a month.
Apparently, though, such a thought never even crossed his mind.
Instead, he continued in prayer just “as he had done previously.”
Surely there was a definite and direct and indelible link between Daniel’s life of prayer and the bravery he showed in obeying the God of Israel rather than the “do it now or die” commands of the most powerful king in the known world.
Our Lord told us, too, that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Luke 18:1 Amplified Bible
Parables on Prayer
18 Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,
We are not to close prayer down for a while if we don’t feel like it or have little spare time for a season.
If we want to live for Jesus, minister in His name, participate in His Kingdom work even when we are under pressure, our prayer lives must be consistent.
We must come to regard prayer as a fundamental element of our faith, not merely a nice supplement.
The door is wide open for you to demonstrate the same kind of consistent commitment to prayer as Daniel did.
Through regular discipline, prayer can become your natural reaction to every situation in your life.
Be it still resolved, do you still need to set aside a time each day when you will pray and give thanks to your God, come what may?
Wherever God takes us, whatever we do, however His plan unfolds, may our prayers be unceasing.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
God of truth, sometimes I not sure if I’m actually hearing your voice, or if it’s just my own thoughts or even another spirit. Sharpen my spiritual hearing, Lord, so I can recognize your words when you are speaking to me. Help me know it’s really you, with no doubt or second-guessing. When I’m asking for your guidance in important decisions, give me your peace that surpasses understanding with your answer. Help me remember that your words to me will never go against your written word in the Bible. Give me a clear mind and push out all my confusion. God, help us to practice finding you, help us to discipline our life, may our day begin and end with you. Amen.
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.
11-17 Train me, God, to walk straight; then I’ll follow your true path. Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear. From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord; I’ve never kept secret what you’re up to. You’ve always been great toward me—what love! You snatched me from the brink of disaster! God, these bullies have reared their heads! A gang of thugs is after me— and they don’t care a thing about you. But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit. So look me in the eye and show kindness, give your servant the strength to go on, save your dear, dear child! Make a show of how much you love me so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed, As you, God, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet.
The 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.
Can anyone truly say that they are slow to anger?
We strive to be slow to anger, but we are all always a work in progress.
It helps when we remember we need mercy and grace every day.
We must all confess that we miss the mark, but I know God is slow to anger.
And when we are angry at ourselves for being quick to anger, we know that God looks on us with an unmatched and much undeserved kindness.
His eyes fill with steadfast love, and He helps us through the mess our anger creates for ourselves and anyone else who is in the very near vicinity of it.
We will so freely admit around others we’re so grateful God is compassionate.
To be compassionate means their is within us an empathy to feel sorrow for someone else’s suffering, with a longing, a stirring desire and effort to help.
We see God’s compassion for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus, we can have forgiveness and salvation.
Our lives change when we meet Jesus so that we can know of God’s great compassion – His compassion helps us live for him alone in our day to day.
There is always an action behind compassion.
As we lean into God’s compassion, we begin to see his actions in our lives.
We experience His mercy when we mess up once again.
We know his grace when he encourages us to fall forward into his arms, and He helps us to have courage to be able to stand again when the floor is all we want.
All through the Old Testament, we see how full of mercy God was to his people.
Then in the New Testament, we see Jesus’s compassion on the crowds.
Jesus delivered his good news of freedom, healed the brokenhearted, and gave sight to the blind of eyes and heart.
From the Old Testament we should recall God’s Prophet Jonah who did not understand the Lord’s compassion for the Ninevites and why he, Jonah should be the only one from God to communicate that message of compassion.
He ranted and raved against God, vowed that he would do everything in his power to avoid fulfilling God’s command, ran away from God’s command and ended up spending three days and nights in the belly of a whale before he finally obeyed God, fervently warned the people of Nineveh of imminent destruction.
The Ninevites repented, and God extended compassion to them.
He did not destroy them. Instead of rejoicing, Jonah thought this was very wrong and in the end He pouted in anger because God was compassionate.
We can learn much from Jonah.
For one, to obey right away.
Second, to remember how much we need mercy and grace.
We are not perfect.
We do not have it all together.
Yet, it’s so easy to look at everyone else’s failings and refuse to see our own.
We want to experience God’s compassion, but do we want everyone even our greatest enemy to experience His compassion?
Truth be told, In our most honest moments, we struggle to say yes.
We want God’s acts of compassion toward us.
We want Him to forgive us, to help us, to bless us.
But when we have been angered, when we have been wounded by someone’s betrayal – as Judas betrayed Jesus, we (humanity) want punishment for them.
If there are 100 people out there who are reading this devotional out there in the world, it is reasonably safe to believe no one can confess that “I am not slow to anger,” and when pressured a tiny bit they struggle to show mercy and grace.
But God. by His living Word, He steps in to our anger and answering our prayers reminds us all that we need His compassion just as much as everyone else does.
This truth from Psalm 86:15 keeps us humble and fully reliant on his grace.
Throughout my Cardiac Rehab struggles I’m prayerful for his steadfast love and His strength to extend compassion when I could be compassionless like Jonah.
First, compassionate with myself to not be so angry at myself for my setbacks.
Second, compassionate towards my wife, family and friends who try to help me.
It’s tempting to respond like Jonah – to get flaming angry, want to run away.
But, maybe Jonah did not fully realize how compassionate and merciful God was towards him in letting him live in the belly of the fish while being guided to the shores of his final destination being Nineveh that he could fulfill his mission.
Perhaps He knew God’s nature because he experienced for himself, but he was slow to learn as he grew angry when God showed compassion to the Ninevites.
People whom in his mind he still believed and still felt didn’t deserve it.
We know the Ninevites gave up their evil and violent ways.
They humbled themselves before God, and He responded in compassion.
But, how much did Jonah actually humble himself before seeing God’s victory?
Humility is key in learning to let go of our anger and to receive God’s strength to extend compassion to others.
The book of Jonah ends with God asking Jonah a question, (Jonah 4) and we’re left wondering what happened to him and whether or not there was any change.
Why did Jonah stay angry?
Why did he still harbor resentment toward God?
Why was Jonah so slow to learn to be slow to anger and abounding in mercy?
Intersecting Faith and Life:
The next time we find ourselves struggling with anger, remember Jonah.
Let him be an example of how not to respond so quickly, so often, with anger.
Jonah appreciated God’s compassion for himself, but he grew angry when God showed compassion to people he felt did not deserve it.
What about us in 2024?
God’s compassion extends to all.
Lean into it and encourage others to lean into it as well.
As we do, we will experience God’s grace, mercy, steadfast love, and strength.
In turn, we will learn to be slower to anger and be quicker to show compassion.
Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy, Mercy on Me
Psalm 103:7-12 New King James Version
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
When Jesus said on the cross, “They do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), he was teaching us a lot about ourselves – what we do with our anger.
We have an uncanny ability to remain blind to our sin and how deeply it cuts God’s fatherly heart.
But when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” he was also teaching us about God.
“Father, forgive. …”
These words go well together because the Bible affirms that, above all else, God is a God of mercy!
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
As our heavenly Father, it is in God’s very character to forgive.
Again and again, when we come back from the strange ways of our ignorance, our anger and foolishness, we find God waiting for us with a welcoming heart.
He is ready—even eager!—to forgive us when we return home.
God’s heart is not quick to condemn but, rather, to forgive.
“God did not send his Son … to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).
In Jesus’ plea from the cross, then, we have both the hard brutal truth about ourselves and the glorious truth about God:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Thanks be to God that still today Jesus prays, “Father, forgive them,” on our behalf (see Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).
Practice leaning into God’s Compassion – for the sake of self and for others.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
The 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.
Jesus’ reply to the rich man here is full of surprises.
First, in response to being called “Good teacher,” Jesus says, “only God is good.”
Was Jesus saying that he is not God?
No, Jesus answered this way because the rich man saw him as just a man—a good man, but still just a man.
As the rich man stood before Jesus, he was also confronted with the fact that he himself was just a man and not as good as he had thought.
Ultimately, only God is good. (And, of course, Jesus himself is good because he too is God, but he is not drawing attention to himself here.)
In our everyday lives, we use the word good to describe all kinds of things.
We say, “Good morning.” We appreciated a good breakfast. Seeing that the weather is good, we go out to work or to play or meet with our good friends.
The Bible, however, mainly uses the word good to refer to what is pure and holy.
The point Jesus is making is that only the perfect and holy God is truly good.
And yet, as we each find forgiveness through Jesus and we are restored to a right relationship with God, we gain the ability to do good and to be good.
All who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and act for his glory will one day hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (see Matthew 25:21, 23).
Question for Today: How We Know That God Is Good?
Mark 10:17-18 Amplified Bible
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As He was leaving on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher [You who are essentially good and morally perfect], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?” 18 Jesus said to him, “[a]Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.” Mark 10:18
God is good in so many ways–the way He provides for us, He guides us, and He watches over us–but it goes even deeper than that.
God’s goodness is who he is, and we are created in his image, so, therefore, we share his goodness.
God’s goodness shows up in our lives every single day.
Although we often think of His goodness when something big happens, His goodness abounds all the time–in every hour, minute, and second of the day, in the smallest of things around us – but how do we recognize this goodness?
Here are five examples of God’s goodness in our everyday lives.
1. Waking Us Up
Psalm 5:1-3 New King James Version
A Prayer for Guidance
To the Chief Musician. With [a]flutes. A Psalm of David.
5 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my [b]meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.
Every day that God wakes us up is an example of his goodness.
This means we are still working towards the purpose and gifts He has given us.
It shows us that He isn’t finished with us yet and that we still have a mission to fulfill.
We shall not grumble and complain about getting out of bed and going to work.
We should be happy that we are still breathing and living for him.
Many are worse off than us who need to see our light shining in the world every day.
2. Pouring His Favor on Us
Psalm 5:11-12 New King James Version
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You [a]defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
On the days when we are surrounded by the smallest and most significant of blessings, we know that God is pouring his favor on us.
This can be anything from your coworker bringing you your favorite coffee to your boss calling you in their office to discuss a project or raise or promotion.
We need to pay attention to all the little things in our day, both big and small, that are a blessing to us. A lot of times, it’s the little things that mean so much.
3. Protecting Us
Psalm 121 English Standard Version
My Help Comes from the Lord
A Song of Ascents.
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Every continent on earth has mountains.
Some are cold, rugged, and difficult to climb. Others are favorite vacation spots.
Still others are sources of water, timber, and other natural resources.
Those who live within view of a mountain range are reminded daily of God’s greatness and our smallness.
Psalm 121 asks us to consider that same contrast.
Setting out for their trip to Jerusalem for a festival, pilgrims often sang this song to remind each other of the dangers of the journey ahead and of the assurances of God’s protection.
God is greater than any so-called god of the hills or mountains—the Lord God is earth’s Creator.
God is more powerful than any force of the sun or moon—the Lord created them too.
The false gods of other nations might have had to take vacations, but not the Lord God Almighty, who never slumbers or sleeps.
When we set off on a journey—whether it is a trip of hundreds of miles or only a few steps—we can remind ourselves, as those pilgrims did, we travel with God.
We need not fear the dangers of the road or threats from others; every step of our way is seen by God, who watches over us.
Our God, the Creator of earth’s highest mountains and deepest valleys—and everything in between—is also the protector of our small lives.
4. Speaking to Us through Prayer
Psalm 66:16-20 English Standard Version
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b] 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Prayer is our most powerful connection to God.
It is how we express our thanks and gratitude, make our petitions known, and intercede for others.
Sometimes we get an answer of “yes,” sometimes, “no” and sometimes, “wait.”
Sometimes, He gives us specific instructions and, sometimes, He is silent.
Other times, He speaks to us and provides us with an answer in the most surprising of ways.
No matter what, He always answers, and we need to look for those answers every day.
In issues big and small, He will often nudge our hearts and draw our attention in the right direction.
5. Guiding Us
Psalm 31:1-4 English Standard Version
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! 2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
We make a thousand little decisions a day, everything from deciding whether we will do our tasks well or whether or not to take on a ministry or a mission.
Sometimes, in our decision making we have to slow down, determine whether an opportunity is right or wrong for us and if we should follow a particular path.
In these moments, God is guiding us.
We need to stop, take a breath and pay attention.
How do we feel in our hearts?
How do we feel in our gut?
We need to be still and listen to that small voice we know so well.
Listen to him whispering to our hearts about what choices are right for us.
Pay attention to the signs He sends us.
This is his way of guiding us and nudging us to our best selves, so that we may live in the gifts and graces we have been given and the purpose He has for us.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.[a] 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[b] for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord forever.[g]
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.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 