Tag: faith

The Mystery of Seeds: Some Deeper Thoughts About a Seeds Thoughts. Mark 4:26-29

Mark 4:26-29 New American Standard Bible 1995

Parable of the Seed

26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he immediately [a]puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

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.

Way back when in my youth, My Mom and I would plant a variety of seeds—tomato’s, peppers, beans and radishes in rows, zucchini and squash in mounds.

Every conceivable kind of seed we picked up at the store went into the ground.

Row after row would be planted and then watered and then left to the elements.

There was really nothing else we could do but wait and water and watch them.

Night and day after night and day would pass, we would sleep, wake, go outside before breakfast and leaving for school and we would watch and we would wait.

All we could do was wait a couple of weeks or so as the seed packet had said and watch and water and hope for some kind of sprout to shoot through the ground.

If all went well, a little green sprout would barely show up into the sunshine.

These methods make the sprouting and growing of seeds no less of a mystery.

Surely there is a long and quite complex scientific explanation today for the sprouting of seeds, the growth of tender shoots, that will only increase my awe.

I cannot speak for today’s generations but in younger days, we children enjoyed hearing, reading the stories of Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel.

One favorite was the tale of Toad planting a garden.

After a day or two he began to think and fret about whether his seeds would ever sprout and grow. So he sang to them, he stayed up with them all night (in case they were afraid of the dark), and even screamed at them and wept over them.

Exhausted, Toad finally fell asleep.

When he awoke, he saw to his great relief that the seeds had sprouted.

Too often, I am like Toad when working in Jesus’ church and God’s kingdom.

I act and feel as if it all depends on me.

As Jesus tells us in his parable, however, God’s garden grows from seed to harvest “all by itself.”

So much of this is a mystery.

We need to do our part—sow the seed, water, tend the garden, and reap the harvest—but we do not make the seed grow. That happens by God’s gracious work. We can simply delight in doing our small part in growing the kingdom.

Some thoughts about A Seeds Thoughts …

Mark 4:26-29 The Message

Never Without a Story

26-29 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—it is harvest time!

Jesus is speaking of how his kingdom increases.

He explains it as a coming to harvest by a patient expectation God will work.

The key of this whole passage is, …the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

All by itself the soil produces grain. 

There are unseen forces at work which will be faithful to perform their work — whether a man stews and frets about it or not. He does what he can do. But then God must work. And God will work. In that confidence, this man rests secure.

As Jesus draws for us the picture this farmer goes out to sow the seeds he threw.

It is hard work as he sows the field, but this is what he knows, believes he can do to move the process along to its conclusions.

But then he goes home after a long day of sweaty labor and he goes to bed.

He does not sit up all night biting his fingernails, wondering if the seed fell in the right places.

Nor does he rise the next morning and go out and dig it up to see whether or not it is sprouting.

He rests secure in the fact that God is at work, that he has a part in this process, and he must do it; no one can do it for him, and he will faithfully perform it.

The farmer rests and waits as the seed goes through observable stages: …first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. Now, it is only when the grain is ripe that he is called into action again – to reap and then to harvest.

This is the way we ought to expect God to work. He sows our witness first, perhaps a word of teaching or exhortation to someone — or to ourselves. And then a process begins, which takes time and patience, and allows God to work.

One of the most destructive forces at work in the church today is our demand for instant “best possible political results.” We want immediate baptisms, and conversions, immediate responses, immediate dedications every time we speak.

We want what we steadfastly believe our worldly agenda entitles us to We tend not to allow time for God, the Word, to take root and grow and come to harvest.

As Jesus explains these ideas, He vividly demonstrates that a person’s spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth – meaning God’s truth. 

Kingdom of God and Not being wise in our own eyes

Proverbs 3:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 
[a]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
7 
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.
8 
It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts]
And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

The passage for today is Mark 4:26-27. It says,

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows. He knows not how.”

This passage is a parable about growing the kingdom of God not the world of man and its too often bizarre, wild and assorted politically motivated agendas.

Jesus is clearly communicating that the kingdom of God is like a seed that is planted in the ground – we are the church, we are those seeds being planted.

The seed grows and sprouts, even though the farmer does not know how it happens nor does he know the outcome when the seeds finally bear their fruit.

This parable teaches us that the kingdom of God is a mystery. We do not always understand how it works, too, we are not to know how God works, but if we will allow it, keep our agendas, understandings we can trust that God is at work in it.

We can also trust that the kingdom of God will grow and spread, even when we do not see it happening, even when we are thoroughly blinded by our agendas.

We can apply this parable to our own lives. We may not always see the results of our work, but we can absolutely trust that God is at work in us and through us.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Amplified Bible

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth. 7 So neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but [only] God who causes the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  9 For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.

We can also trust the kingdom of God will grow, the kingdom of God will both mature and spread, even when we don’t know what’s going on see it happening.

Let us not be too discouraged if we do not see immediate results from our work.

Do I really trust that God is at work, and all outcomes do not all depend on me? Having done what God has given me to do, do I then rest, since God is working?

Philippians 2:1-4 Amplified Bible

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, 2  make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Setting aside nonsensical worldly agendas, let us continue to sow the seeds of the kingdom of God, and trust only God will bring about a harvest in his time.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear God, thanks for the gift and mystery of seeds. Help me to humbly do my part in work and prayer and to rely on you for growth in and around me. In Jesus I pray.

Psalm 23 Amplified Bible

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want.
2 
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
3 
He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.

4 
Even though I walk through the [sunless] [a]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
5 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with [b]oil;
My cup overflows.
6 
Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of 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.

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Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division from our God’s Garden. John 12:20-26

John 12:20-26 New American Standard Bible 1995

Greeks Seek Jesus

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; 21 these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip *came and *told Andrew; Andrew and Philip *came and *told Jesus. 23 And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his [a]life loses it, and he who hates his [b]life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 If anyone [c]serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone [d]serves Me, the Father will honor 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.

Mathematics in God’s Garden

John 12:23-25 Amplified Bible

23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted. 24 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest. 25 The one who loves his life [eventually] loses it [through death], but the one who hates his life in this world [and is concerned with pleasing God] will keep it for life eternal.

Plants and bushes multiply in a variety of amazing ways.

Raspberry bushes send out runners from their roots and start new shoots.

Grape vines, strawberry plans, potatoes, pumpkins and cucumbers and carrots all seem to need no help in producing a bounty of produce when one is planted.

So raspberry and blackberry patches are constantly ever expanding, and we are able to cut away plants easily for friends and family to start their own patches.

Planting eight cloves of garlic before winter produces eight new garlic plants, and each plant produces seven or eight cloves of garlic the next summer—a promise of good increase.

Jesus, an astute observer of life in God’s garden, chooses wheat as an example of amazing multiplication.

As he said, one kernel “produces many seeds.”

Today we know that one seed of wheat planted in the ground yields 20-25 kernels of new wheat.

Further, Jesus was making a more profound point.

Jesus is speaking of himself in this parable.

He is the grain of wheat.

He is the Son of God, compelling, compassionate, living the life of God in the midst of men, and yet wholly as a man.

Crowds everywhere left their work and followed him.

They sensed that here was a man who possessed the secret of life.

He had nothing that men thought was necessary to living.

He had no material possessions.

He did not even have a place to lay his head.

He had no influence with the authorities. Yet, everywhere he went, people sensed that he understood the secrets of life. So he was like a single grain of wheat, alone amidst other grains of wheat, sharing nothing with the others.

He could have remained that way.

He did not need to die.

He was no martyr to a failing cause.

He was not forced to the cross.

He had no need to lay down his life, for he could have returned to the Father.

There would have been no blame attached to him if he had.

He could have chosen to return to the Father, having demonstrated before all men exactly what God wanted man to be, and left us with that demonstration and gone back to heaven.

But, as he says, if he had done that he would have remained alone.

For the rest of eternity, though he would have been thronged with angels and all the other created beings of God’s universe, he would have been alone.

There would have been no one else like him in all the universe.

John 10:11-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

This is very important, because it gives us our first clue as to what our Lord is really unveiling here, the problem that affects so many of us — loneliness.

There is a difference between being alone and being lonely.

One can be alone and not be at all lonely.

Or you can be in the midst of a crowd, and be utterly lonely.

This is what Jesus is referring to.

He is not talking about being alone; he is talking about being eternally lonely.

Dr. F. B. Meyer once said, Many people complain of lonely and solitary lives.

They suppose their condition is due to the failure of other people.

It is, however, attributable to the fact that they have never fallen into the ground to die, but have always consulted their own ease and well-being.

They have never learned that the cure for loneliness comes from sowing oneself in a grave of daily sacrifice. 

There he puts his finger upon the cause of this distressing loneliness that still bothers so many today.

It is an attempt to hold on to life, to grasp it for oneself, and this results in an undeveloped life.

Our Lord knew the deepest craving of the Father’s heart; that he might bring many sons to glory.

1 Timothy 2:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

A Call to Prayer

2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [a] authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and [b] dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the [c]knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony [d]given at [e]the proper time.

But to do that it was necessary that he die.

There was no other way by which what he was could be given to us.

John 1:11-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 He came to His [a]own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were [b]born, not of [c]blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:11-12 says, he came to his own and those who were his own did not receive him. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. As many as received him, to them he gives the power to share in the abundance of his own life.

But how is that life made available?

John 12:23-26 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his [a]life loses it, and he who hates his [b]life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 26 If anyone [c] serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone [d]serves Me, the Father will honor him.

It is only available by dying to ourselves.

But we fear such dying, do we not?

What the Lord Jesus is saying to us in John 12:23-26 is that there will be, can be, no authentic deliverance from the loneliness and emptiness of this world’s life until we Psalm 51 learn to renounce that kind of living then live into Psalm 32.

Psalm 32 New American Standard Bible 1995

Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David. A [a]Maskil.

32 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my [b]body wasted away
Through my [c]groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [d]vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [e]Selah.
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the [f]guilt of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [g]in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Just as a single wheat seed “falls to the ground and dies” then “produces many seeds,” his own death and his resurrection produces an over abundance of new life, acres and uncountable acres of harvested souls in a multitude of followers.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own [a]reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s [b]field, God’s building.

From the first words of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, we can trust in his sure promise of multiplication and eternal life as we follow him in dying to ourselves and serving others out of the over abundance of our new life in him.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father of all life, let us thank you for sending your one and only Son to die, rise, and multiply his life in all who follow him. Inspire and ­strengthen me to lay down my life and serve others. Lord, thank you for showing me that the way to life is through my dying to myself. I confess I fear such dying, so I ask that you help me to live this out.

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

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.

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The Only Higher Glory; The Rightly Exalted; The Only Higher Exaltation. Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b] grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death [d]on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of 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 Only Higher Glory

Philippians 2:9 Amplified Bible

9 For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

We have been talking about our having the mindset of Christ and following his example of ­humility.

When it comes to humility, no one can be humbler than Christ, who gave up his own life so that all who call on his name can be saved to have new life forever.

And because Jesus did that, the Word of God says that God also raised him from the grave and “­exalted him to the highest place.”

He started out as the Son of God in heaven.

Then he willingly became a suffering servant who swooped down to the lowest of depths by dying on a cross for our sake.

Then God, as only God is able, reversed it all and swung Jesus upward to rule in heaven over everything.

The words Apostle Paul uses to ­describe this position have to do with the power of the highest name: “God . . . gave him the name that is above every name.” And what is that name? It is Jesus (meaning “Savior”), and it is Christ (meaning “Anointed One”). Jesus Christ is the Lord, the sovereign ruler, over all things.

His name is so glorious the day will come when every knee will bow to honor him, every tongue will sing songs to “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, is Lord of the cosmos.

All glory be to him forever and ever!

The Only Rightly Exalted, The Only Greater Exaltation

Philippians 2:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], 6 who, although He existed in the form and  unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; 7 but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. 8 After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 is a beautiful statement concerning Christ’s humanity, deity, ministry, and humiliation.

Having mapped the humility of the incarnate Son of God all the way to His death on a cross, where does your mind go next? Naturally, we think of the resurrection. But Paul does not. He takes us directly to Christ’s exaltation.

There is, Paul says, a logical connection between Jesus’ humiliation and His exaltation: “Therefore God has highly exalted him” (v 8, emphasis added).

What is this exaltation?

It is that the Father has given His Son the throne and ordered this world so that one day

“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (v 10-11).

But why is His exaltation fitting?

Scripture gives us several answers.

First, Christ’s exaltation is fitting because it fulfills Old Testament prophecy and demonstrates that God keeps His word.

The worldwide recognition of Jesus as Lord will occur because God promised it would.

Six hundred years before Jesus arrived on the stage of human history, Isaiah recorded these words from God: “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted” (Isaiah 52:13).

And so Christ came to bear the pain and sin of the world, fulfilling the role of Suffering Servant, lifted up on a cross, then raised to be exalted on His throne.

As Paul wrote elsewhere,

“All the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Second, Christ’s exaltation is fitting because He is God.

The Bible teaches us all that the Son is One with the Father. On account of His divinity, exaltation is an absolute necessity; there is nowhere else for God to sit!

No other seat is suitable for the Son except at His Father’s right hand.

Finally, Christ’s exaltation is fitting because He is the dear Son of His Father.

God the Father watched the Son obediently go to the cross to fulfill the covenant of redemption and heard Him cry out in pain,

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

The Father knew that the Son underwent that agony out of love for the Father and love for His people.

Matthew 23:37 Amplified Bible

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “[a]O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

The Father would not leave His perfect Son in that dire condition.

How could the Father’s love do anything other than exalt the Son from His lowly state?

Christ’s humiliation for us and exaltation above us are surely enough to bring us to the point where we bow in joyful submission to Him.

They show us that there is only one who has the absolute unchallengeable status to demand our obedience and the character to deserve our adoration.

They remind us that the best thing about heaven will be the most glorious person in heaven:

I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace;
Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land.[1]

1 Anne R. Cousin, “The Sands of Time Are Sinking” (1857).

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear God, please help us to bow our knees and confess with our mouths the truth about Jesus’ cosmic glory. Make us witnesses of this splendid gospel truth. Amen.

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock 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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Trusting in God’s Leading us: “I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will Appoint You ….” Isaiah 42:1-9

Isaiah 42:1-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

God’s Promise concerning His Servant

42 “Behold, My Servant, whom I [a]uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the [b]nations.
2 “He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 “A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 “He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His [c]law.”

5 Thus says God the Lord,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its [d]offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
6 “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 “I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to [e]graven images.
9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Changes and transitions can bring uncertainty and stress, but they also present new opportunities for growth and transformation.

In times of change, we can find comfort and assurance in recognizing that God is leading us, making a way even in the most challenging circumstances.

As we step into new seasons, we can trust that God is leading us on a path of purpose and fulfillment.

Like a stream in the wasteland, God provides us with refreshment and direction in situations that are unfamiliar and may even be threatening (Isaiah 35).

Isaiah 35 New American Standard Bible 1995

Zion’s Happy Future

35 The wilderness and the desert will be glad,
And the [a]Arabah will rejoice and blossom;
Like the crocus
2 It will blossom profusely
And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
The majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord,
The majesty of our God.
3 Encourage the [b]exhausted, and strengthen the [c]feeble.
4 Say to those with anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.
For waters will break forth in the wilderness
And streams in the [d]Arabah.
7 The [e]scorched land will become a pool
And the thirsty ground springs of water;
In the haunt of jackals, its resting place,
Grass becomes reeds and rushes.
8 A highway will be there, a roadway,
And it will be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean will not travel on it,
But it will be for him who walks that way,
And fools will not wander on it.
9 No lion will be there,
Nor will any vicious beast go up on it;
[f]These will not be found there.
But the redeemed will walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the Lord will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
With everlasting joy upon their heads.
They will [g]find gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Though changes in our lives may feel overwhelming —especially if they are forced on us—we have the promise that God is with us every step of the way.

God equips each and every one of us with the grace, strength and wisdom we need to face the an unforeseeable future with assurance and His confidence.

In times of transition, let’s surrender our plans and desires to God, seeking his will and guidance. As we embrace new beginnings, we can all move forward in faith, knowing that God is our constant companion and the author of our story.

Isaiah 42:6-9 …And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Faithful God, in times of change help us to trust in you for guidance and provision. Open our eyes to new things that you are doing in our lives. Help us to embrace change with courage and faith, knowing you are always with us. In Jesus’ name.

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.

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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Imitating Christ’s Humility; “but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves … ” Philippians 2:1-4

Philippians 2:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

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 followers of Christ, we are called to embrace a servant attitude, putting the needs of others far before our own.

This humility echoes the very heart of Jesus, who came not “to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

In a world that far too often exalts self-promotion and personal gain, we stand apart by valuing others far above ourselves. Our mindsets; we seek to meet the needs of people around us, extending all kindness, empathy, and compassion.

A servant attitude begins with a heart shaped and transformed by God’s love.

As we live in all the selfishness around us, in God’s presence, we learn how to lay down our ambitions and egos, making room for selflessness and sacrificial love. We act with grace and with love toward others, just as God has done for us.

By Paul’s words in Philippians, in every interaction, let’s consider the interests of others, seeking greater opportunities to serve in the both big and small ways.

Contrasting against worldly selfishness, may we be better known not by our alleged accomplishments and achievements and successes but by our love and by our humility and by our servant hearts that follow only the example of Jesus.

Disciples and the World and Lights in the Darkness?

Matthew 5:13-16New American Standard Bible 1995

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

In response to knowing the heart of God we are called to share the wonders of his invisible nature with a world in desperate need of him. God has chosen to use us to reveal himself. He’s filled us with the Spirit and empowered us to proclaim the good news of salvation and restored relationship with our Creator.

Jesus’ teaching on salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount is truly one of my favorite passages of Scripture related to sharing the heart of God with the world around us.

In Matthew 5:13-16 The Message Jesus taught:

Salt and Light

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

One of the most powerful, empowering aspects of this passage is how Jesus begins by speaking identity over us.

God doesn’t tell us to go get some salt and share it.

He says we are salt.

He doesn’t tell us to go get a light and shine it.

He says we are a light.

Sharing God’s heart is a part of who we are.

As believers we’ve been redeemed—washed clean of our sins—that we might proclaim the excellencies of our Savior by living in line with our new identity.

The world is a dark place.

It is without hope.

It’s filled with the blind leading the blind and the needy seeking fulfillment from the needy. Our only hope is Jesus. The one, true Guide is the Holy Spirit.

We are called to a humble lifestyle of expelling the darkness around us with the powerful proclamation of God’s heart to love, provide for, and redeem all those who would simply say yes to him. We are each called to respond to Jesus’ call

We are summoned to cease putting a basket over the light he’s placed within us.

We don’t have to be apologetic for the hope we have.

We don’t have to fear the opinion of man.

We can love relentlessly, offer grace unexpectedly, and sacrifice ourselves so that others might see a glimpse of God’s heart. 

“Let your light shine before others” today.

Don’t cover up who you are in Christ.

Seek to reveal God’s heart in all say and you do. And watch as the world around you is drawn to the light of God’s unconditional love revealed through your life.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. 

Renew your mind to who you are in Christ.

Matthew 5:13-16 Easy-to-Read Version

You Are Like Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.

14 “You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

2. In what ways are you covering up your light? 

In what ways are you living in fear or according to the ways of the world?

Take time to engage in confession and receive God’s forgiveness and love.

3. Receive courage from God to live in accordance with your new identity as salt and light. 

Ask God how you can be light in the darkness today. Ask him for specific ways you can reveal the hope you have in Jesus to others. Journal his response.

Oftentimes we see the things of God as a part of our life.

As soon as God starts trying to change the way we live day-to-day, we put a wall up over our hearts so we don’t have to change.

But to sequester God is to value this life over eternity.

To care more about the world’s opinion of us than who God says we are is to try and make God a servant of the world and its systems.

God is the Creator.

He alone is King.

And he alone knows best as our loving Father.

To section off your life and allow God only into parts is to live foolishly.

Crown God as King over every part of you.

Choose to live as salt and light. And experience life where God is allowed to manifest himself, bless you in every way he can, and use your life to change the world for the better. May your day today be filled with all the fullness of God. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Spirit of God, mold my heart in humility and love to imitate the Lord Jesus. Help me to value others above myself and to serve selflessly. May I reflect Christ’s love for the benefit of others in this world each day. In Jesus’ name, Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995

God the Refuge of His People.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
[b]A very present help in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
[i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. 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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How Do I Trust God When I Do not even Understand What He’s Doing? John 13:5-8

John 13:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him,  What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

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.

There have been moments in my life when different trials have blindsided me.

Things like heart disease resulting in urgent triple bypass surgery, unexpected job loss, or a host of other sudden situations where I just felt utterly caught off guard by what I believed and understood to be true about God. Ever been there?

Recently, I was reading the gospel of John, chapter 13.

You know the story. The disciples and Jesus met in the upper room to celebrate the Passover.

We call this the Last Supper.

As the disciples gathered in the room, there was no servant to wash feet.

This would have been absolutely unheard of in Middle East culture where everyone’s feet would get dirty and dusty.

You could feel the tension in the room.

The disciples anxiously looked at each other, wondering who would take the place of a servant and wash feet.

Then Rabbi Jesus wrapped a towel around His waist, got down on His knees, and began washing feet.

Peter was appalled!

Maybe he even felt a bit guilty for not being willing to be the one who would serve others.

In any case, he questioned the Lord with the words, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

We could paraphrase, “Lord are You really going to be the one to wash our feet? 

In Peter’s mind, this didn’t make any sense; how could the Lord of the universe stoop so low?

Then Jesus spoke these profound words, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). Those words are so profound! 

Though Peter may have left everything to follow Jesus, watched in amazement as He saw Him transfigured at the top of the holy mount, and unashamedly proclaimed “Thou are the Christ the Son of the living God,” he could not begin to understand the staggering spiritual significance of Christ’s act of humility,

when He laid aside His garments, girded Himself with a towel, and began to wash the disciples’ feet.

Even today, are we no different than Peter in that we too have allegedly left everything behind, allegedly we also have sacrificed much of ourselves and unashamedly proclaimed our deep faith, we are the Body of Christ the church?

How well do we, like Peter, and probably the rest of the assembled disciples, grasp the profound significance of the words Jesus spoke in the Upper Room?

With all the volume of information we have available in the 21st century, that those first disciples did not have, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7), do we still struggle so hard to understand Jesus’ acts?

1 Corinthians 8:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

Take Care with Your Liberty

8 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge [a]makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that [b]there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

Affiliation, disaffiliation, clashes of our wills against God’s will, personalities and ideologies crashing and smashing and grinding together as earthquakes, hurt feelings, who wants to offend our greatest enemy being sin when we are so fearful of offending each other over use of correct pronouns, gender identity.

By the shock-horror of the cruel Cross, the distressing denial of His Lord at the unjust trial, the bewildering amazement at His glorious Resurrection, the really breathtaking baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the astonishing inclusion of the Gentiles into the family of God, and the many hidden mysteries of the Church that were almost entirely revealed to the apostle Paul,

were all enfolded, yet enshrouded in one simple act – when Jesus rose from the Passover supper, poured water into a basin, began to wash the disciples’ feet.

No wonder the Lord answered Peter and answers His church still today: “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know.”

The manifestation of God’s love towards the fallen race of man at Calvary as the entire floodgates of God’s wrath was poured out on His dearly-beloved and only-begotten Son, was beyond Peter’s comprehension at that time, but by the power of the Holy Spirit he, and in turn us, would later receive illumination.

For a time, in those ancient of days, before the birth of the church at Pentecost neither he nor any of the gathered disciples minimally understood the spiritual significance of what they had witnessed, although afterwards things would be made plain – but with the passage of 2000 + years, is it any more plainer to us?

What appeared as a series of bizarre and unaccountable circumstances that defied reality, reason, was later to be recognized as the necessary prerequisite to the glorious gospel of grace.

And as the unveiling of God’s plans and purposes continued to unfold before their eyes, they gained spiritual understanding and developed a deepening awareness of God perfect plans and purposes for humanity, but have we also?

When, like the apostle Peter, we come face to face with a whole series of bizarre circumstances that seem to shake, shatter our lives, divide and disaffiliate our churches, we may not understand the reason for life’s twists and turns but we can trust Him, knowing that His ways are perfect and His grace is sufficient.

Like the disciples on that night before the Cross, we may not be comfortable with the Words Jesus speaks to us, with the truth he tries to convey, with the shock-horror that we witness or the unjust way that life seems to be unfolding.

We may not understand the spiritual significance of all that is happening in our life and the lives of those we care about, but can we come to our place, our own Upper Rooms together and trust our Heavenly Father for He is still in control?

He knows the end from the beginning and all His ways are perfect, ours are not?

Although we may not know the meaning and mystery of all that we are called upon to bear in this world, let us remember that we may not understand what is happening now, but hereafter, by God’s Gospel, we shall know as we are known.

May we learn, as Peter did, that there is One God, One faith, One Baptism that what may be shadowed to our understanding today is being used by God to work together for good, to His praise and for our eternal benefit. (Romans 8:26-39)

Often in our lives, we believe God is moving in one direction only to discover the plan is completely different, there is no rhyme or reason or rationale to be seen.

Trusting God in Uncertainty

Uncertainty can leave us feeling vulnerable and afraid.

But in the midst of life’s unknowns, we have a trustworthy anchor: God’s unwavering presence and faithfulness. (Hebrews 6:17-20)

17 [a]In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, [b]interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have [c]taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 [d]This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters [e]within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

When we are faced with uncertainty, do we remember that God is in control?

God is faithful, and his plans for us are good?

As the Body of Christ, we can absolutely, implicitly, trust the Lord to strengthen us, and to help us, upholding us all with his righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10)?

In the face of uncertainty and the unknown, we find comfort in the reliability of God’s character and faithfulness.

God is our refuge and strength, always present to help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

With the Lord by our side, we need never fear the future. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of [his] throne; love and faithfulness” surround him.

When we face uncertain times, let’s lean on God’s promises? Can we draw near to God in prayer, seeking his guidance and wisdom. In the Lord’s embrace, we can find the assurance that he’s leading us on a path of purpose and fulfillment?

The questions could go on endlessly.

When the persistent reality we face is that things don’t seem to turn out like we anticipate, feeling disappointed with God, asking, “Did I really truly hear those profound words from Him?”  “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7) realizing after 2000 years, we still do not get it?

The bigger question is, “How do I trust a God I don’t understand?” 

In order to trust God when we don’t understand, we have to be brutally honest with our feelings.

We can’t deny or numb feelings of disappointment, hoping they’ll go away.

Instead, we must authentically dump them at the feet of Jesus.

Remember the story of Lazarus dying found in John 11.

Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s sisters, felt devastated and disappointed that Jesus hadn’t shown up in time.

Both of them said to Jesus, “If only you had been here.”

They were honest in their feelings. Jesus felt deep empathy for them and wept with them. No judgment. nor condemnation – just entering into their sorrow even though moments later, He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead. 

When we feel disappointed with God’s response, we must cling not to all our disparities of personalities, ideologies, but what we know about His character. 

Returning to what all ideologies know to be true will help settle our souls.

The Gospel …

John 14:6 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If we always understood God, He wouldn’t be God. He would be our equal.

Yet, all we still today, have each again inexplicably fallen into another trap:

Isaiah 53:1-3 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Suffering Servant

53 Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender [a]shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should [b]be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of [c]sorrows and acquainted with [d]grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Isaiah 53:4-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

4 Surely our [a]griefs He Himself bore,
And our [b]sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
[c]Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was [d]pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our [e]well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To [f]fall on Him.

All we still have not struggled enough to understand the message of Calvary as Jesus did throughout his earthly ministry now being summed up by John 13:7.

We just do not “get it!”

Do we even want to “get it?”

One has to wonder how much like Peter in that Upper Room we are right now!

The simple truth is the Gospel is not a Gospel of Peter or about Peter or those in that Upper Room at the moment Jesus got up and divested himself of his cloak.

It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ-ONE GOD ONE GOSPEL ONE TRUTH FOR US ALL!

Instead, He is vastly beyond our imagination. Yet, according to His Word; He is always good and just. He loves us. He is faithful, He will do what’s best for us.  

The truth is that our trust muscles are strengthened ONLY as we go through life’s disappointments – TOGETHER!

We each walk by faith and not excuses, explanations, and irrational rationale.

If we continue to come together, (Philippians 2:1-18) authentically bring our feelings before God and together nonjudgmentally cling to what we know to be true about His character, our One faith will grow stronger even in our suffering.

As we each lean into Jesus, He will whisper reassurance to our broken hearts. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you reflect on your affiliated and or disaffiliated life so far, what have been situations that have arisen that have made it difficult for you to max trust God?

What do you feel God is inviting you to do in this season to bolster your faith?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Matthew 6:6-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [a]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [b]evil. [c][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

Heavenly Father, thank You for this precious picture in the upper room, when in humble submission to the Father’s will, the Lord Jesus laid aside His garment and began to wash the feet of His bewildered disciples. Lord, there are many times in my life that I do not understand the reason that You allow certain things to happen, but help me to simply trust You in all things and enable me to pray, “Thy will not mine be done.” Open my understanding to all that You are seeking to teach me, and may I grow in grace as I submit to Your will for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

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How should we know that it is a New Beginning, if it’s truly a ‘God Thing?’ Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8 New King James Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in [a]the Prophets:

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance [b]for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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.

Do I need a fresh start with God?

Do you need a fresh start with God?

Do we, being the Body of Christ, being the Church, need a fresh start with God?

If we do, in as much as we are going to be authentic and honest in the presence of a knowing God the opening verse of the gospel of Mark has something for us.

It speaks of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to offer new beginnings to all who seek God’s mercy and strength in a time of need.

Mark’s opening words immediately remind us of the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Mark apparently wanted his readers to immediately remember that God is always present and always at work in the very beginning of all good things.

When God created the world, everything was good.

But Adam and Eve sinned against God, and things began to go wrong.

But that was not the end of the story, for God immediately set out to restore what was lost, and his work centered on the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Individually and Corporately (the church), what does this mean for us?

Well, we know God loves us and did not turn away from his rebellious creation.

God came into the world through Christ Jesus to save us from our sin and its consequences.

Because Jesus came to die in our place, paying the price for our sin, all who believe in him are not under sin’s curse anymore.

They are given a new beginning, and that is what the gospel (“good news”) is all about.

Have you, have we (the church) received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?

How would we know we have received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?

How are we to Tell if Something Is truly a ‘God Thing’

Exodus 3:14-15 Complete Jewish Bible

14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.

“It’s a God thing” is a common enough way, believers and non-believers, to describe an event or situation people believe was influenced or guided by God.

The circumstances that surround what happened occur in such a way that only God himself could have orchestrated them, or that is at least how it appears. 

Yet, like Moses, how can we ever decipher if something is a “God thing” or not?

To be clear in answering this question, I will only speak to the way God moves in the lives of his children.

I am doing this because God’s primary motive in the lives of unbelievers is to bring them to salvation in Christ.

1 Timothy 2:1-7 New King James Version

Pray for All Men

2 Therefore I [a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and  giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b] authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth [d]in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

However, once you and I and the church gets saved, God desires to make you more like Christ and to position you to accomplish his purpose for your life.

So, with that context established, let’s consider a few different ways we can know if something is a “God thing.”

1. When it brings our attention, focus back to Christ

John 15:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 “When the [a]Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 [b] and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

In the world today, it is not the politicians nor the global power brokers but it is the Holy Spirit who is the one who shifts and orchestrates the events in our life.

When he is at work, he will always point your focus and attention back to Christ.

The Holy Spirit does this because salvation is found only in Jesus’ name.

Acts 4:8-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, [d]as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

However, Jesus Christ is also our model and the one we strive to be like.

As Christians, when the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, he aims to transform you so you look like Christ.

For this reason, everything he does brings Christ into the center.

If you can’t point to Christ, if you can’t glorify Christ, or if it doesn’t challenge you to become more like Christ, then you must question if God is really in it.

One of the simplest ways to know if something is God is to look at who is getting the glory.

If Christ is not being glorified, then God is not in it.

It does not matter how “spiritual” an experience you have; if Jesus is not at the center, then God has no part in it.

That’s why you can’t always judge something by how it makes you feel or the result. It would be best to consider whose direction that event is moving you in.

2. When it confirms God is aware of your situation

Isaiah 38:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

Hezekiah Healed

38 In those days Hezekiah became [a]mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept [b]bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your [c]life. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’

There may be times in our lives when we pray secretly for things, and God responds to our secret cries.

In Isaiah 38, the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah he would die.

In response, he cried out to God and wept bitterly before the Lord in prayer.

Isaiah had no knowledge that Hezekiah was praying for God’s mercy, yet when he came to Hezekiah, he brought an answer to the prayer that Hezekiah prayed.

It was a God Thing – God was at work. 

There may be things you pray for or situations you are going through.

In this season, maybe someone brings the right word or even the right provision that you need.

Especially when you have never expressed it to anyone else.

You could go for prayer, and someone prays for your need without you telling them what your need is.

Or, you could sit in church one day, the pastor “reads your mail,” meaning they preach as if they know exactly what we are going through, we never told them.

Situations like these are what God uses to show that he is completely aware of your situation and that he has not forgotten you. 

3. When it meets a need at just the right time

Ecclesiastes 3:11 New American Standard Bible 1995

God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

11 He has made everything [a]appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, [b]yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

When God is truly in something, he has a way of showing up at just the right time and providing exactly what you need.

It is not a coincidence when you hear the right word, the right song, the right encouragement, or receive the right provision at the moment you need it.

I know sometimes we wish we didn’t have to experience it this way. However, the only way you will ever know God is authentically faithful is if you must be in a situation where he can prove his faithfulness to you and you praise God for it.

4. When it Rightly aligns with the word of God

2 Timothy 2:14-19 New King James Version

Approved and Disapproved Workers

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”

A recent blog I read celebrated the idea of a “never-ending vacation.”

Faced with all the ugly long term prospects of an unfulfilling relationship, an unfulfilling job, and the constant demands of everyday life, many people dream of “just leaving it all behind” and heading for a place with no responsibilities.

While it can surely be good and desirable thing to have a change of pace in life, the temptation to run away from all our responsibilities will lead to trouble and will inevitably and perhaps permanently, damage the relationships in our lives.

In 2 Timothy 2 the apostle Paul mentions two individuals who ran away from home spiritually.

Apparently they got caught up in false teachings about the resurrection and undermined the hope that believers had in Christ.

The false teachers aggressively painted a picture that misled people to wander from the good news of Jesus—that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again so that we can live forever with him.

No matter how much we might enjoy learning new things in life, we need the “solid foundation” of scriptural truth that we can depend on to provide us with our spiritual home. We need a place where we are known and accepted in grace.

2 Timothy 3:10-17 New King James Version

The Man of God and the Word of God

10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Let’s be careful about the stories we tell and the “chatter” we might engage in.

This means we are responsible for knowing and correctly applying what God has said in his word. When you know what his word says, here is what happens.

Ephesians 4:11-16 New King James Version

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

So many people easily deceive themselves and believe that God is orchestrating activities that contradict his word.

Unfortunately, because they are not studious, they are unfamiliar with his word, they don’t and wont always recognize that God is not any part of it.

If you want to be sure if something is a genuine God thing, check to see how it aligns with the holy scripture. If it doesn’t, then you know what the answer is.

In all that we say, do, we should ask ourselves, “Does it point people to Christ?”

5. When you look at the results (but not always)

Isaiah 55:8-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

One Thanksgiving, our pastor once told this story to the children in our church.

He showed the children and the congregation a pumpkin and an acorn, and he said he could never figure out why God had created such a small seed for a large tree and why he had created such a large oversized gourd for such a small plant.

It seemed that in a creation that was proportional an oak tree should have a large seed, about the size of a pumpkin, and a small plant like a pumpkin vine should have a small seed, about the size of an acorn.

But then he went on to explain to the church that one day while he was walking through the woods, looking at the leaves an acorn fell and hit him on the head–and suddenly he realized that God must always know exactly what he is doing.

Often in our life we see and experience things that don’t seem to make sense to us, just as often we are all called to trust that God truly knows what he is doing.

God reminds us of this when he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Even in the confusion of life, we can be assured that when things do not make sense to us, God knows what he is doing and we can all trust him to care for us.

John 19:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so  they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

For example, Jesus followed the Father in perfect obedience, getting him nailed to a cross. In the short term, that outcome did not look so good. However, in the long term, “It is Finished” meaning that his obedience paid for our salvation.

So yes, results absolutely matter, but not more than your obedience to what God desires you to do.

While results can indicate that God is doing something supernatural, we must measure those results according to God’s standards and not worldly priorities.

Otherwise, we may consistently think God is doing something he is not part of.

Little is much when we know God is absolutely in it – it is His thing – not ours!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.

5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

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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Seeing God’s Bigger Picture When We are Grieving; Sadness unto Gladness. Psalm 34:17-20

Psalm 34:17-20 The Message

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

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.

Grieving is a natural response to loss and sorrow. In the midst of our pain we find comfort and peace in the assurance that God is near to the brokenhearted.

When we experience loss, we turn to God in prayer, pouring out our hearts before him.

He completely understands our pain, and in his tender compassion the Lord continuously offers comfort and peace, peace surpassing our understanding.

Grieving is a natural process that requires time and grace. We allow ourselves to mourn, knowing that God wipes every tear and also holds us close to his heart.

Psalm 56:8 The Message

8 You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
    through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
    each ache written in your book.

In times of sorrow, we can draw strength from fond memories of the ones we have lost. Their legacy lives on through the impact they have had in our lives, and we can certainly thank God for the ways he has blessed us through them.

As we walk with God through our grief, through Scripture and prayer we find truest hope in the resurrection and eternal life promised in Christ, our Savior.

Looking not to our grief but trusting in all of God’s promises, we hold on to the assurance that our loved ones who have passed away are safe in his loving arms.

Bigger Gospel Picture: Our Sadness unto His Gladness

John 20:20-31 The Message

To Believe

19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

The first Easter did not look like a typical Easter celebration.

Before Jesus’ resurrection was discovered, the day was marked by tears, devastation, and bewilderment—not joy, hope, and praise.

The disciples were gathered out of fear, to protect one another, not to sing “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”[1] 

1 Charles Wesley, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” (1739).

The truth is in their overwhelming grief and sadness, they sat in sadness; for them, their story had come to a grinding halt, with the next page 100% blank.

Or so they thought.

The Gospel does not attempt to deny or try to idealize the grief felt by Christ’s followers after His crucifixion.

They didn’t understand what had happened, and they certainly didn’t know what would happen next.

Their sadness reveals humanity’s limitations in knowing the bigger picture.

Despite the Old Testament prophecies and Jesus’ own foretelling of His death (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), John’s Gospel tells us that they “as yet did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9).

They didn’t understand that when Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished” (19:30), He was not expressing any defeat but declaring everlasting victory.

This victory meant resurrection.

And as the resurrected Savior came to the disciples in their darkness, fear, and sadness, He brought transformation.

Their unbelief turned to belief, an affirmation of faith, and their sadness turned unto His brand of gladness.

That gladness was rooted in the fact that they understood that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Their faith and their future returned and were rooted in this wonderful reality.

The darkness of their despair made the light of the resurrection all the more glorious.

If you are looking for an idol that will just make you glad, your search will be in vain, through the Scriptures and prayer you should look for the God of the Bible.

He does make us glad—more so than anyone or anything or anyplace else—but He often starts by making us sad.

We are saddened by this broken world, saddened by our own sin, saddened that on the cross Jesus died for our wickedness, disobedience, and disinterest.

It is only through truly feeling such sorrow that we can fully understand the gladness that comes with our account being settled, our debt being paid, our sins being forgiven, and our wrongs being forgiven and forgotten. (Psalm 32)

We can know the gladness of a love that loves us even though we are not worthy of it—that loves us when we don’t want to listen.

What kind of love is this?

It is the love of God for men and women, for you and me!

Today, look away from yourself and look at Him.

This is love, and when we know we are loved in this way, we are able to see the healing in the harm, sadness can be the soil in which eternal gladness grows.

About which part of your life—perhaps a part full of pain, or regret, or anxiety—do you need to hear this today?

Remember that whatever you are walking through, it remains true that Christ the Lord is risen, Christ the Lord is fully Alive and we can all sing, Hallelujah!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Compassionate God, in our grief may we find comfort in you. Draw near and hold us close as we mourn. Thank you for all of your promises. Thank you for understanding our pain and our tears. Help us to find hope in the resurrection and eternal life you have made possible for us in thy Son Jesus. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.

5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

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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The peace of God, which transcends all understanding; Finding that place of real Tranquility in God’s Presence. Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians 4:4-7 The Message

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

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.

Our culture surrounds us with things that subtract from our ability to find peace and tranquility.

Let’s be honest—we live in an instant generation—we literally despise waiting for anything. Tranquility is not instantaneous and neither is it always welcome.

We would not be able to handle dial-up Internet.

Today, if it doesn’t load in less than two seconds, then something is wrong.  

Earbuds, iPads, social media, sports, shopping and work.

All of these contribute to our busyness.

They are not bad in and of themselves, but they detract us from our tranquility.  

Tranquility is an inner sense of calm that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

This is from God and, I believe, that it’s mostly found through relational, intimate prayer. 

Finding tranquility in moments of still prayer is not easy to do in our instant culture, so here are a few tips.

Slow down

In John Ortberg’s book, Soul Keeping, he suggests that the challenges of the world test the depths and elasticity of the soul.

Like a computer’s operating system, our soul integrates everything—the will, body, emotions and seeks harmony.

When we overload the system, it is bound to crash. 

We need to slow down.

We’re so busy doing life, that we forget about life.

In our packed schedules, we have one gear—fast.

Slowing down allows us to carve out intentional time to get alone with the Creator.

We can’t find tranquility in crammed calendars.

A friend of mine made an acrostic for the word, busy—“bent under Satan’s yoke.”

I like that.

I learned that slowing down for intentional times of prayer, increased my peace and ability to wait on God.

As it’s been said, we were created for camel time, for horse and buggy time.

Right up until 1900, mankind rode upon horseback or walked.

This allowed times for processing and time for prayer.

We had intentional alone time with God.

Nowadays, we shut our car doors, turn on the XM satellite, and away we go.

What is the concept of tranquility?

The noun tranquility means “a state of peace and quiet,” like the tranquility you feel in the woods, at the shore of a quiet lake or inside a beautiful cathedral.

Tranquility can also describe a person’s disposition …

What does tranquility in my heart mean?

I suggest it means a peaceful, calm state, without noise, violence, worry, etc.: living in peace and tranquility.

What is the spiritual meaning of tranquility?

It is a state of mind that transcends external circumstances, enabling we as individuals to experience serenity, harmony, and a deep sense of contentment.

Why is tranquility important?

Tranquility has also been suggested to improve mental health and reduce psychological distress by reducing stress and anxiety, allowing one to have more control over their thoughts, helping one to sleep better and to take more time to carefully consider, derive new solutions, to manage difficult situations.

What is the difference between peace and tranquility?

Peace is a broader concept that encompasses societal and global harmony, while tranquility primarily relates to an individual’s inner state of calmness and serenity.

Peace can involve resolving conflicts, while tranquility focuses on achieving a peaceful and tranquil state of mind.

Lets take it a step or two further …

What does the Bible say about tranquility?

10 
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah. Psalm 46:10-11

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; [a]believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:25-27

What is the meaning of divine tranquility?

Divine Tranquility is a graceful tribute designed to convey solace, compassion, and unwavering support during times of loss.

All this GOD depth of meaning to be found in that single word – TRANQUILITY!

Having read these meanings, have you the reader begun to feel any Tranquility?

Finding Tranquility in God’s Presence

Philippians 4:4-7 Amplified Bible

4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

n a world filled with uncertainty and turmoil, the peace of God offers us solace and tranquility.

It is a peace that surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

To experience the peace of God, we surrender our anxieties and worries to him in prayer.

We present our requests with thanksgiving, knowing God cares deeply for us.

In God’s presence we find comfort, assurance, and a quiet confidence that he is in control.

The peace of God is not dependent on our circumstances but on our trust in him.

It is a supernatural peace that defies logic and goes echelons beyond our human understanding.

As we focus on the Lord and on his great mercy, care, and faithfulness to us, we find peace that transcends the chaos around us.

In every situation, let’s turn to God, seeking his peace.

May we cultivate a heart of gratitude, knowing that God is our truest source of strength and security. As we abide in him, his peace will guard our hearts and minds, enabling us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and confidence.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Amplified Bible

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want.
2 
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
3 
He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.

4 
Even though I walk through the [sunless] [a]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
5 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with [b]oil;
My cup overflows.
6 
Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of 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.

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, as it will be healing to your body and it will be refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8

Proverbs 3:5-8 Complete Jewish Bible

5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart;
do not rely on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him;
then he will level your paths.

7 Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom;
but fear Adonai, and turn from evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and give strength to your bones.

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.

By these timeless words of Scripture, God invites each of us to implicitly trust in him, to be still, surrender our worries, doubts, and fears into his capable hands.

On our parts, this involves our sacrifice, our conscious choice to rely on God’s wisdom and guidance rather than leaning on our own limited understanding.

In a world filled to overflowing with uncertainty, we will wander around, we stumble everywhere, can we find solace in the unchanging character of God?

Based on the measure and degrees of his own personal experience, intrigue, Solomon’s response is ultimately clear: the Lord is faithful, steadfast, and true.

Our being more aware of his presence, He will fulfill every promise he has made.

From within that raised awareness of his presence, when we place our trust in the Lord, we will be tapping into the wellspring of his grace, strength, peace.

Trusting God doesn’t mean that we will never face challenges or hardships.

But it does mean that we can confidently face hard times, knowing that God is with us, working all things together for our good. We can rest in the blessed assurance that Almighty God is in control and that his plans for us are perfect.

Trusting God requires humility—a recognition his ways are higher than ours.

It involves sacrificing, surrendering our understanding of our wisdom, our need for self control, reshaping our thoughts, embracing HIS divine wisdom, timing.

Day to day, as we submit the fullness of our lives unto the Lord, he directs our paths, leading, guiding, directing us, on a journey of purpose and fulfillment.

Let’s trust God with all our heart. In every circumstance, may we lean on his understanding and submit to his will. As we do trust God, we experience his faithfulness, and our lives become that testimony to his goodness and grace.

In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

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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