Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
1 Chronicles 16:8-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
Psalm of Thanksgiving
8 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. 9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; [a]Speak of all His [b]wonders. 10 [c]Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. 11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
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.
Continual Revelation
Seeking God is not meant to be a one-time event.
We’re not meant to run off the fuel of an occasional encounter with our Father’s love. Rather, seeking, finding, God’s heart is to be the foundation of all we do.
It’s to be intertwined in our thoughts, actions, and emotions.
He longs to reveal himself to us whether we’re at home, working, watching movies, in a church service, or out with friends.
Life with God is meant to be about continual revelation of his heart.
In Jeremiah 29:13-14 God says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”
God longs to be found by us.
He longs for us to seek out a revelation of his invisible nature, unconditional love, and abounding grace.
He longs for us to taste and see that he is good (Psalm 34:8).
Psalm 34:8-14 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
When you seek out God you won’t be met with nothingness.
When you seek to know the will, attributes, feelings, and reality of your heavenly Father, you will find what you seek. His presence is his promise.
We go through too much of our days apart from a revelation of God’s heart.
We suffer through insecurities, disappointments, fear, doubt, and worry as if we are continually on our own.
We take too much of our own lives into our own hands and work to feel valued, continually fight for what we feel is owed to us, we feel like quitting when we fail, and wallow in our inabilities to live life perfectly, when all the while our heavenly Father waits, beckoning us with his grace to simply ask for his heart.
All the while he longs to root and ground me in his love that isn’t based on what we do, but based on his unwavering, unchanging character.
The best news we have today is that God is continually available to us.
He’s continually ready and continually willing to pour out a love so rich, so real, and so continually powerful that everything continually changes.
He’s continually knocking on the door of our hearts, continually hoping that we will simply and continually take the time to continually open up and let him in.
Please take an extended period of time today as we will now enter into guided pray to seek a fresh revelation of God’s heart.
Begin a lifestyle of continually seeking God by giving God all you have right now: yourself.
May you be continually empowered and set free today to live in continual communion with your loving heavenly Father.
Guided Prayer:
1. Reflect on the importance of continually seeking God that he might be continually found.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”Jeremiah 29:13-14
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”1 Chronicles 16:11
2. Ask God for a fresh revelation of his heart today.
Take an extended time to quiet yourself and open your heart to receive.
3. Spend some time in solitude simply being with God.
Rather than asking him questions, journal what you are discovering about God.
Write down how you feel, aspects of his character you are noticing, and what he seems to be speaking to you.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Sometimes simply being with God teaches us more than a thousand questions he could answer.
In being still and knowing he is God we learn the reality of his presence and the communion we have with him.
We discover his personality and learn to trust in his quiet, calm assurance.
There’s nothing as comforting as sitting with him and simply knowing that he has us. May you find continual peace and comfort in the nearness of God today.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 34 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, a Provider and Deliverer.
A Psalm of David when he [a]feigned madness before [b]Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.
34 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This [c]poor man cried, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are [d]crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be [e]condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be [f]condemned.
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.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are [a]sons of those who murdered the prophets.
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.
Façade … a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect. (verse 28)
Façade … any face of a building given special architectural treatment. (verse 27)
The earliest meaning of the word Façade in English was in reference to the front portion of a building, its “face,” so to speak (and face itself is sometimes used to describe this part of a structure as well).
Somewhere along the highways of history the word façade took on a figurative sense, referring to a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation.
This is similar to the figurative use of veneer, which originally had the simple meaning of a thin layer of wood that was used to cover something, and now may also refer to a sort of deceptive behavior that masks one’s actual feelings (as in, “he had a thin veneer of politeness”).
Honesty is more than the words we say. It’s a posture of the heart.
We weren’t made to try and be something we’re not. God never asks us to keep up appearances. He longs for us to have the real courage to be vulnerable. He longs for us to be so founded in his unconditional love that we will live honestly.
Matthew 23:24-32 The Message
23-24 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?
25-26 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You buff the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.
27-28 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.
29-32 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You’re cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.
The greatest testimony you and I could possibly give to honor God, to give to the Kingdom of God and our neighbor is to have the audacity to live honestly.
It takes enormous courage to be yourself.
It takes genuine security in the unconditional love of your heavenly Father to acknowledge not just your strengths and successes, but also your weaknesses and failures.
But in doing so your life will proclaim the powerful, beautiful work of God.
And in doing so you will experience the peace and joy only freedom from building a façade can produce.
A façade is “an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.”
So often, to cover up what we know to be imperfect we devote ourselves to creating a false picture for others.
We even devote so much energy to building a façade that we try and deceive ourselves.
We muster up our pride and look only at what we’ve done well, all the while ignoring what we need help with.
As a result, we will spend all our time living a life apart from reality.
And to live apart from the reality of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is to live far apart from the grace and love of our ever-present, wholly real Father.
Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus passionately rebukes those who try and build facades:
27 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
God solely cares about the heart.
1 Samuel 16:6-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for [a] God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Next Jesse made [b]Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and [c]bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
He’s not worried about our perception.
He’s not worried about status or societal acceptance.
He cares about what is authentic.
He cares about what is genuine.
He cares about what is real.
He knows that any energy spent devoted to building a façade is energy you can’t devote to receiving help, healing, and grace for what’s real and important.
He knows that all your efforts to be accepted pf men aren’t of value because the opinions of others are nothing in comparison to his unconditional love for you.
And he knows that ultimately all facades will inevitably be torn down, and we will be publicly exposed, seen and known by him for who we really, truly are.
What does it mean to be whitewashed tombs?
To be whitewashed means to be cleaned so well that there is not a speck of dirt to diminish the shining brilliance of the tombs. In His example, the outside of the sepulcher tombs appears beautiful as it catches and reflects pure light. But inside they are full of rotting corpses—dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
God longs for you, me, the church to live fully alive, fully known and fully loved.
He longs for us to live in and to live outward from a revelation of his love and grace rather than striving for affection and acceptance by building up facades.
Take time to experience his love and grace today.
Assess your heart and tear down your walls. May freedom burst forth in your life today as you proclaim the glory of God’s grace by being who you really are.
Guided Prayer:
1. Reflect on the importance of living in reality.
Allow Jesus’ words to stir up your desire to tear down any façade you’ve built up.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27
2. Where are you striving for acceptance or affection by building up facades?
Where are you portraying yourself to be something you aren’t?
Why are you doing it?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to be yourself today.
James 5:14-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [a]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [b]offered in faith will [c]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [d]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [e]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed [f]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the [g]sky [h]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
Psalm 103:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.In the
Tell others of your weaknesses today.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself with all your strengths, successes, weaknesses, and failures.
May God’s grace and love empower you today as you live honestly.
May you stop devoting your energy to falsely manufactured appearances and give yourself and to God to what’s real. And in doing so may you genuinely encounter the unconditional acceptance and affection of your loving Father.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained; 4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the [g]beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
19 Pilate then took Jesus and [a]scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. 4 Pilate came out again and *said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” 6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”
8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 9 and he entered into the [b]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority [c]over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this Pilate [d]made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king [e] opposes Caesar.”
13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called [f]The Pavement, but in [g]Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the [h]sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
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.
Whose praise will you live for?
When Christ was put on trial before Pilate, the Roman governor repeatedly declared His innocence—and yet he paired his declarations with dreadful acts against Him.
Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”—and then handed Jesus over to be brutally flogged, a beating so intense that it sometimes caused gashes and lacerations where veins, arteries, and internal organs would be exposed.
Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”—and then let the soldiers humiliate Jesus with a mock coronation, placing a crown of thorns upon His head, dressing Him up, and scornfully “worshiping” Him.
Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”—but did he release Jesus?
No, he surrendered Jesus to a vicious execution squad to be killed.
There was never a more tormented individual that met Christ than Pilate.
Here was a man who possesses great authority, everyone around him is afraid, a man of great power who utterly lacked the courage to stand by his convictions.
Here was a man with great political influence, with the power of life and death in his words, of great success but who also ultimately compromised all of his authority, showing himself under the trappings of his position to be a coward.
Here was a governor who was governed on the outside by his office, his uniform and an Emperors appointment, edict, but in the inside by his own weaknesses.
We cannot be neutral nor passive or indecisive regarding who Christ is to us.
We cannot be neutral nor passive or indecisive regarding who the world is and what the world represents to us and to what the world would prefer to do to us.
Is He the Savior or is He no one?
To abstain from a decision about this, to not be accountable, to not be even minimally responsible as Pilate sought to do and be, in the presence of those crowds who wrongfully brought Christ, is to abstain from Christ altogether.
Pilate stands as a great challenge to each of us.
Matthew 16:24-27 Amplified Bible
Discipleship Is Costly
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.
Mark 8:34-38 Amplified Bible
34 Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and [a]take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake and the gospel’s will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 36 For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul and eternal life [in God’s kingdom]? 38 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Luke 9:18-26 Amplified Bible
18 Now it happened that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “John the Baptist, and some say, Elijah; but others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “The Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God!” 21 But He strictly warned and admonished them not to tell this to anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected [as the Messiah] by the elders and chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be put to death, and on the third day be raised up [from death to life].”
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.
Pilate’s conduct compels us to ask ourselves some very serious questions:
In what situations do I, do we, like Pilate, know the right thing to do in some way and yet fear what other people will say if I do it?
In what situations do we, the church, like Pilate, know the right thing to do in some way and yet fear more what the world will do to us, crucify us publicly for?
Are there ways in which my words or conduct or convictions are governed more by the expectations and reaction of great clouds of others, or by considerations of wealth, position, or promotion, than by God’s uncompromising commands?
Let’s not compromise on our position regarding Christ.
If we let the opinions of our colleagues, our neighbors, or our families concern us too much, we may find ourselves giving up forgiveness, peace, heaven, and Christ Himself in exchange for an easier life now. Instead, let’s be courageous.
Joshua 1:1-9 New American Standard Bible 1995
God’s Charge to Joshua
1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ [a]servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; [b]be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may [c]have success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may [d]be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will [e]have success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Look again at Christ: flogged, mocked, and killed out of love for you.
Then look at those who, perhaps vociferously or perhaps politely, scoff at His truth. Who would you rather offend? Whose “well done” would you rather hear?
“the Emperor is the ONLY King that matters to us!” “crucify! crucify! crucify!
Do we even want to hear or listen to the words of Pilate: “Not guilty!”
“Not Guilty!” “I Can Find No Guilt in Him!”
That’s the true verdict on Jesus.
However, he assumed our guilt and sin on the cross so that we can be freed from them.
He lived, loved, died as a sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world so that everyone who truly comes to him can be declared “not guilty” before God.
Praise God for his incredible grace, and praise Jesus for his incredible sacrifice!
Christ is continuously beckoning us to Him so we all might go out, live for Him.
1. “Are ye able,” said the Master, “to be crucified with me?” “Yea,” the sturdy dreamers answered, “to the death we follow thee.” Refrain: Lord, we are able. Our spirits are thine. Remold them, make us, like thee, divine. Thy guiding radiance above us shall be a beacon to God, to love, and loyalty.Text: Earl Marlatt, 1892-
Will you come?
and will you go?
or will you do exactly nothing?
Or will you turn your back, join the crowds, run with the cultural masses?
How long do you need to think about what actions you are going to take?
Whose love and attention do you crave more?
God, the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit …. or something someone else?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth, [e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol; Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Father, I praise you and your Son for the incredible gift of forgiveness and freedom from sin that are mine through Jesus bearing my sins on the cross. May my life show that I appreciate this incredible gift and that I take sin very seriously and commit to learning more of Your truth and staying away from it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom [a]is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not [b]of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall— Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all: Hearken! what meaneth the sudden call? What will you do with Jesus?
What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be; Some day your heart will be asking, “What will He do with me?”
2
Jesus is standing on trial still, You can be false to Him if you will, You can be faithful through good or ill: What will you do with Jesus?
3
Will you evade Him as Pilate tried? Or will you choose Him, whate’er betide? Vainly you struggle from Him to hide: What will you do with Jesus?
4
Will you, like Peter, your Lord deny? Or will you scorn from His foes to fly, Daring for Jesus to live or die? What will you do with Jesus?
5
“Jesus, I give Thee my heart today! Jesus, I’ll follow Thee all the way, Gladly obeying Thee!” will you say: “This will I do with Jesus!”
What will you, would you do with Jesus?
What will I, would I do with Jesus?
What will the church, would the church do with Jesus?
Who is the King of Truth …
On the morning of what is today known as the first Good Friday, the Jewish religious authorities took Jesus to continue His trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.
We can see in the details of the Gospel accounts how God sovereignly orchestrated all of these events.
The Jews’ determination to secure Christ’s death by crucifixion would actually fulfill God’s plan from eternity.
God had also planned Christ’s interaction with Pilate.
As they stood before one another, Pilate asked significant questions about Jesus’ identity and authority.
These questions formed an examination with eternal ramifications—an examination we all must make. Consider how the hymn writer puts it:
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall— Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all; Hearken! What meaneth the sudden call? What will you do with Jesus?
Pilate from his position of high authority, as representative of the Emperor, believed he was holding an examination on a purely intellectual, natural level.
But anyone answering the question “Who is this Jesus standing as prisoner before all these decision makers, those with the power to decide life and decide death?” is always going to be confronted by a spiritual, supernatural matter.
Jesus wasn’t any political king, as Pilate believed, but he was the heavenly King.
He essentially told Pilate,
My kingdom doesn’t find its origin in this world. The concern of My kingdom is the spiritual transformation that is brought about in the hearts of My people. The very reason why I was sent by my Father, born as a King, was to testify to God’s truth.
But Pilate, blind in his unbelief, did not grasp that, had already made up his mind – after all, he had the positions of authority, he was conquering Roman and therefore, in that exact moment he was all the truth that ever mattered.
Jaded and disdainful, he sought to avoid the fundamental question we all must ask: “What will I do with Jesus?”
But in trying not to answer, he nevertheless gave his answer: I shall reject His claim on me and His authority, rule over me, and therefore His offer to rescue me.
What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be; Someday your heart will be asking, “What will He do with me?” [1]
1 Albert B. Simpson, “What Will You Do with Jesus?” (1905).
Neutral you cannot ever dare to be!
Neutral I cannot ever dare to be!
Neutral the church cannot ever dare to be!
You and I and the church will either live under Jesus’ rule or we will not.
So do not close your Bible in the morning and then live out your day as though this world and its changing concerns and kings are all that is or all that matters.
Do not proceed as though Jesus has no place or interest in your life in this world.
The King of Truth stood friendless and forsaken before the Temple Authorities, Pilate, so that we all might be welcomed as His friend into His eternal kingdom.
There is no option of neutrality—but why would we want there to be?
What Jesus Did had nothing to do with being Neutral!
John 18:36-37 Amplified Bible
36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world.” 37 So Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say [correctly] that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth [who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth] hears and listens carefully to My voice.”
Jesus came as King.
He did not come as a king in robes of royalty or with a fine palace and a royal court.
Instead, Jesus came as the King of Truth in simplicity and with a band of everyday folks called apostles.
His mission was not to conquer the political landscape, but for God’s truth to win the hearts of the people — all people, not just the Jewish people.
Truth, however, is extraordinarily dangerous for some people to hear, listen to.
Every pretender to a powerful position and those who misuse the power that they have are threatened by one who is genuinely qualified and powerful in ways that they don’t understand.
Pretenders fear the truth.
So the true King was murdered so that they could feel secure in the power that they had.
The only problem was that once the truth was out there, no political pretender and no earthly power could keep truth from triumphing.
Where is Pilate’s power today?
Where would Pilate’s power be today?
What’s left of Herod’s thirst for royal recognition?
And Caesar’s rule?
And the Roman Empire?
All are gone, even those who actually had royal and powerful positions.
Hebrews 13:5-9 Amplified Bible
5 Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,
“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. 8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.
On the other hand, one TRUTH always remains inviolable: one King still reigns over the hearts of all men and women of all races — Jesus, the King of Truth!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Father, thank you for the blessing of an everlasting Kingdom and a triumphant King — your Son and my Savior, Jesus. May his inviolable truth and his Kingdom come to complete triumph in my life and the life of Your church in these ever changing days.
Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995
The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. 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.
41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with [a]James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [b]life a ransom for many.”
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.
While walking with the Lord of glory on His sacrificial journey towards the Cross and the glorious Resurrection, and having been forewarned by Jesus of the future suffering and tribulation both He and all His followers were to face, we discover the disciples overly preoccupied, squabbling about who was be the most important person in Christ’s coming kingdom!
They were automatically expecting the Lord to set up His kingdom on earth at that time, and the deep bewilderment they must have felt when He announced that He was to suffer and die, only adds to the depths of this pitiful scenario.
And so, another important lesson to all of us began to be taught, that the world may seek after pride of place, power, and prestige, but in Christ’s economy: it’s all about “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
We sometimes look at the foolish actions and attitudes of the disciples and the many selfish comments they made, and, with an air of automatic superiority, we will quickly think to ourselves: “I would never say such unspiritual remarks or engage in such carnal actions and attitudes.”
But every lesson that the disciples were taught in their brief but untense three-year sojourn with the Lord, is an equally important lesson that we too must be about the daily business of learning and applying in our journey through life.
Mark 10:41-45 Amplified Bible
41 Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. 43 But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a [a] ransom for many.”
Let us take to heart the truth we’re in the world but we’re not to be of the world.
The world may relish the achievement, important positions and seek to exercise authority over others: “But it should not be this way among you, for whoever wishes to become great among you is to be servant of all.”
Leadership is not about exerting power and control but about serving others with humility and love. Jesus, our ultimate example of leadership, taught us that true greatness lies in our sacrificial servanthood and selfless influence.
In a world that often values ambition and self-promotion, leadership that is rooted in humility and compassion stands out.
A servant leader seeks the well-being and the spiritual development of the people they lead, empowering them to reach their full potential. A servant leader is available, listens, supports, and guides with empathy and grace.
True leadership is not defined by titles or positions but by the impact we have on others. Every interaction, decision, and action provides an opportunity to lead with honesty, integrity, authenticity, and a genuine concern for others.
As leaders, we are called to follow Jesus’ example.
We are called to lead with love, inspiring and empowering the people around us to grow and flourish. Our influence should reflect the character of Jesus Christ, nurturing an environment of truth, trust, collaboration, and mutual respect.
May we embrace the call to leadership with humility and grace.
May we put the needs of others ahead of our own, seeking to serve rather than be served.
As we lead with His compassion and His integrity and His truth, let’s not dare hesitate to point others to the truth of our ultimate servant leader, Jesus Christ.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 143 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! 2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. 3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. 4 Therefore my spirit [a]is overwhelmed within me; My heart is [b]appalled within me.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a [c]parched land. [d]Selah.
7 Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; [e]I take refuge in You.
10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level [f]ground. 11 For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. 12 And in Your lovingkindness, [g]cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am Your servant.
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.
22 Then Moses [a]led Israel from the [b]Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters [c]of Marah, for they were [d]bitter; therefore it was named [e]Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.
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.
Yahweh Rapha: “the Lord Who Heals”
In the desert at Marah, we have another story of God’s provision and testing.
With empty water sacks, standing before a pool of bitter water, the people of Israel begin to grumble.
Although they complain bitterly against Moses, they are really complaining against God.
Their grumbling seems very shortsighted.
Only a few days earlier God had parted the Red Sea and saved them from Pharaoh’s army! (Please Read Exodus 14-15.)
But again, as we see in this story, God delivers his people, making the water fit to drink.
At Marah, the Israelites learn God is Yahweh Rapha, “the LORD who heals.”
This name comes from the Hebrew word raphe, meaning “to heal, to make healthy.”
The people also learn that God expects his people to trust him in all things, and he expects them to be devoted, obedient, holy, as he is holy.
Indeed, a few chapters (Ch. 20) later at Sinai, he lays out a code for holy living.
In the New Testament, however, we will discover an irony about Yahweh Rapha.
There we learn that “the LORD who heals” suffers to heal us and to forgive our sins.
In the words of Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.”
These words refer to Jesus, the Son of God. “By his wounds we are healed.”
” … for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
God progressively revealed the many facets of His eternal character throughout the pages of Scripture and it was to His Servant Moses that the Lord God has now just revealed Himself as Jehovah-Rapha – “I am the God Who heals you.”
God had already revealed Himself to Abraham as ‘the Lord God’ ‘the Almighty God’ and ‘the everlasting God’.
He also identified Himself as Abraham’s ‘Provider’, when He spoke those words, which are pregnant with meaning, “I will Provide Myself – a Lamb.”
Genesis 22:6-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will [a]provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
It was God Who saved His people Israel, after 400-years of bondage in Egypt, when they applied the shed blood of the Passover lambs onto the lintels of their doors – a striking picture of the true Passover Lamb,
Whose shed blood at Calvary would provide the means of healing the nation that was saving His people from slavery to sin and its terrible consequences.
And as the attributes of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continued to be revealed to His chosen people, as the years rolled by, so each of God’s revealed characteristics, was one more beautiful picture of the coming Messiah
– the Mighty God and Prince of Peace, Who would also be the one Who would heal His people Israel, the nation whom Isaiah described as being sick, ‘from the crown of their head to the sole of their foot’.
Isaiah 9:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995
Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace
9 [a]But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the [b]Gentiles.
2 [c]The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall [d]increase [e]their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness [f]of harvest, As [g]men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as [h]at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will [i]rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
He would come as the Horn of salvation for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
He would come to heal the nation from their spiritual sickness, awake them from their spiritual slumber, He will remove the blinkers from their spiritual blindness… for He said to them,
“If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your Healer.”
He would save His people from the hands of their enemies and rescue them from those that hated them.
He would come in holiness and righteousness to bind up their wounds and heal His people from the sin and the suffering that has plagued this world since the fall of Adam and Eve and their forceful expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
He would come as the Promised one, Who would fulfil the covenant God made with His people. He would come as God’s ‘perfect Lamb’ Sacrifice for their sin.
Jesus is the one Who heals the brokenhearted and Jesus is the one Who sets the captives free. Jesus is the one who made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dead to rise into newness of life
– for every attribute of the Almighty, Everlasting God, pointed towards the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, and perfect Man –
The Lord our Healer.
It was to Moses, in the nation’s infancy, that God revealed Himself to His people as Yahweh-Rapha – “I am the Lord that heals you.”
David expanded this glorious truth in so many of his psalms, for we read:
“He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” Psalm 103:1-5 –
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven – whose sin is covered.”Psalm 32
He is the one Who rights all wrongs, and He is the one who performs righteous deeds and judges the oppressed in righteousness.
And as with all of God’s good and perfect gifts, the healing He gives to all the redeemed is beyond our understanding and has an eternal perspective.
James 1:16-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
16 Do not be [a]deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [b]shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be [c]a kind of first fruits [d]among His creatures.
God often heals the physical wounds and earthly diseases that trouble our mortal bodies, and play heavily on our minds and emotions.
But oft-times He whispers into our hearts, “My grace is sufficient, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness… in your sickness, in your hardship – in your loss, and your pain.”
But the incomprehensible truth of Jehovah-Rapha, is that His healing touch also spans the eternal sphere and the spiritual realm.
I am the Lord Who heals you SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY.
I am the one Who heals your spirit – when you were justified, through initial faith in Jesus as Savior – PAST salvation.
I am the one Who heals your soul – through the sanctification process, as you walk in faith and grow in grace – ONGOING salvation.
I am the one Who heals your body – at the Rapture of the church and resurrection of the dead-in-Christ – FUTURE salvation.
God’s gradual unveiling of His perfect character throughout the pages of Scripture, progressively reveals His eternal plan of redemption, which is perfected and completed in the Lord Jesus.
Let us always remember that our eternal healing took place at the cross – and if physical healing is withheld, there is a reason that God alone knows about – and His grace is and will always remain sufficient.
May you have peace today, knowing that all your sins have been forgiven.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. 17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him, And His [g]righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! 21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. 22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Heavenly Father, thank You, that You are the great healer. I am thankful I can lay my burdens at Your feet. I pray for Your healing touch in my life. You are my Jehovah-Rapha, and Your grace is sufficient. O God, you are the one who heals. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, Your Perfect Lamb, Your Perfect sacrifice, we have been healed and have been forgiven. Help us to live fully with this blessed assurance. In Jesus’ name.
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.
14 As He passed by, He saw [a]Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
15 And it *[b]happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [c]sinners [d]were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and [e] sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Jesus came to save sinners.
Yes, all of us are sinners. Unfortunately, many — even some people who consider themselves religious — try to pretend they are not sinners or defend the sins they have committed as “normal failures” or “mere mistakes.”
Jesus reminds us that he came to rescue sinners.
He came for us. He came to call us to join him in the work of rescuing sinners.
Will we respond?
How will we respond?
There’s so much I love about this passage and so much we could talk about in it.
Mark 2:16–17 Shows how the Spiritually Needy were Drawn to Jesus
But what I want to point out in particular and lead us to pray according to is the dynamic at work here as tax collectors and sinners are drawn to Jesus, these people who, especially the religious leaders, would have scoffed at.
They are scoffing at them.
Yet, they’re still drawn to Jesus, people who are in need of salvation, sinners, people who see that they are sick spiritually. They were being drawn to Jesus.
And I just think about my life, about my family.
I think about the church I’m a part of.
I am accountable to God, I want to serve God, I want to live and I want to be a part of a church where sinners feel welcome, where people who are far from God, feel loved and cared for, are drawn to, not because we are like the world.
That’s obviously not the case here.
In Jesus life, it was evident he was totally different from the world in such a way that those people were drawn to the grace and the mercy that was found in him.
Oh, I want my life to look like that.
I want my life to overflow with grace and mercy and love in such a way that people who are far from God through my life would be drawn to Jesus.
I want to be a part of a church where people who are far from God are strangely drawn to the love and the grace and the mercy they find in the body of Christ.
Mark 2:16–17 Encourages Us to care for the Spiritually Needy
So, can we just pray that for our lives, for our churches, that we are a part of?
God, we pray that you would help us to live and assemble as your people and operate as your people in the churches we’re a part of, in such a way that to use language from Mark 2 tax collectors and sinner, find a welcome place there in our lives, in our homes, and in our houses of worship as the body of Christ.
In this devotional we’re going to look at Mark 2:14-17.
In this passage we’ll see that Jesus reached out to and called very unlikely people to follow after Him as His disciples, people no one else would have chosen, people who were unlovely because of their sinfulness.
We come across unlovely people every day, rough and unkind people, people who reject the help that Jesus offers and anyone who talks negative about Him, people whose lives are fully corrupted and controlled by sin, people whom it’s difficult and undesirable to show even minimal love and minimal kindness to.
Do you know anyone like this, at your workplace, in your neighborhood, maybe in your family?
As we look at how Jesus showed love to these kinds of people we can imitate our Savior and ‘Learn to love the unlovely like Jesus did.’.
Please turn with me in your Bible to Mark 2:14-17.
May God speak powerfully to our hearts through His Word and use it to change our hearts and give us His love for unlovely people. This is God’s Word.
Levi (Matthew) Called
14 As He passed by, He saw [a]Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
15 And it *[b]happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [c]sinners [d]were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and [e] sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This passage starts off in a normal way showing Jesus teaching a crowd of people.
He was doing what Rabbi’s and itinerant preachers did, teaching God’s Word to these needy people.
But then Jesus did something no one expected and something which people were greatly offended by.
Jesus saw Levi, also known as Matthew, collecting taxes and He called Levi to follow him. Immediately Levi got up from his tax booth and followed Jesus.
Now to us this is just another example of how radical Jesus’ call on people’s lives was.
He called them and they dropped everything and followed after Him.
But unless we understand how a Jewish person would read and understand this passage and view Levi, we will not understand the radical extent of Jesus’ love and call of Levi.
So, let’s spend a few moments looking at what tax collectors did and how their Jewish people viewed them.
The Romans had conquered Judea in 63 BC, so they had been ruling Judea for over 90 years before Jesus’ ministry.
The Romans taxed the Jewish people heavily, but to collect taxes they didn’t use Roman officials, they used Jews to collect taxes from their own people.
These tax collectors would not only collect the taxes the Romans demanded, but they would collect extra taxes and so they became very rich.
The tax collector did this job with the support of Roman soldiers so the Jews had no choice but to pay up.
So, Levi, also known as Matthew, was probably a very rich young man, at the expense of his own people.
Now the Jews hated the Romans who had occupied their country and oppressed them, but the Jews hated tax collectors even more.
They saw them as traitors to their own people, people who supported the hated Romans and stole from their people.
Read through the Gospels you see tax collectors lumped in with the lowest of the low, with sinners like prostitutes and other notorious people who did not keep the Jewish Law.
No self-respecting Jew would ever be caught dead with a tax collector.
This is the environment that Jesus lived in.
Well, Jesus is teaching this big crowd walking by the sea and He looks right at Levi as he’s collecting his taxes and calls Levi to follow after him.
Everyone knew this man and everyone hated him, but in His amazing grace and love Jesus just called him to be His disciple.
People’s jaws must have hit the ground and Jesus current disciples must have been flabbergasted.
Jesus wanted this notorious sinner, this traitor to be His disciple?
This was an absolute scandal, but Jesus didn’t care what people thought.
Jesus saw past Levi’s exterior to his heart that was broken by sin and He loved Levi and called him to be His disciple.
Jesus not only called Levi to follow Him, but then He had dinner at Levi’s house.
Now no religious Jew would ever eat with tax collectors and sinners, but Jesus wasn’t concerned with what people thought.
He wanted to show love to Levi and these other sinful people.
Notice also that there were many tax collectors and sinners at Levi’s house.
Levi must have spread the word to his fellow tax collectors that Jesus had showed him love and kindness to him and called him to be His disciple.
Levi instantly became a faithful disciple of Jesus calling others to meet and talk to Him so they too could follow after Jesus.
This is the impact of God’s love on unlovely people.
When we show rough, unkind, broken people Jesus’ love it takes root in their hearts andpowerfully affects them.
Some will come to saving faith in Jesus and let other unlovely people know about Jesus so they too can experience His love and be saved.
So, Jesus’ love for Levi had a profound impact not only on him, but gave Jesus many opportunities to eat, talk with and show radical love to others as well.
Check Your Own Pulse as you Check in to the Hospital
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 New American Standard Bible 1995
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one [a]according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ [b]according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [c]he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and [d]He has [e]committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We so often as human beings we will take for granted our being able to breathe properly, having the strength to stand, walk around, or the ability to see clearly.
Yes, the Lord is our Healer, the Lord is our Great Physician and He fully does miraculous things through His touch and His words, but He also has provided people with the minds and the abilities to work alongside Him to help others.
I am a retired Registered Nurse!
My late Mother was a Registered Nurse for 42 years.
I still remember quite vividly and quite physically my experience last July 2023 when I required that urgent Triple Bypass Open Heart Surgery to save my life.
I thank God for the skills of my Surgeon and his Cardio-Thoracic surgical team.
I thank God for the skills and compassion and care of the Nursing staff and the Nursing Aides, those calm, calming demeanors and words of encouragement.
It absolutely needs to be over-emphasized that Doctors and nurses, healthcare professionals, play an oversized key role in our society and around the world.
Inside and outside of the hospitals and healthcare facilities, they help keep communities healthy and are there in some of the most difficult times in life.
Who are some specific names of medical workers who come to mind?
Take a moment and write them down or create a mental list of doctors and nurses, healthcare professionals, who serve you, your family, or your town.
This reminds us that these are real people who are making authentic sacrifices every single day to go out of their way to meet those exacting needs of others.
Mark 2:17 tells us that the sick are the ones who need the doctor.
Ultimately we are all spiritually ill.
We all need the gospel of Jesus to set us free and to heal us from the eternal sickness that is death and punishment.
Sickness reminds us that health is a gift.
Our sin indicates that Jesus is our antidote.
Has there been a time in your life or the life of a loved one when sickness constantly ruled?
Maybe you never thought things would get better, or maybe they did not.
Perhaps you are still living in an ongoing battle with illness.
Even though our bodies can be physically worn, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
Our spiritual lives can become more healthy and fruitful even when our physical health is declining.
Today, I pray we will take some time to praise God for His kind gift of doctors and nurses and the vast diversity of Healthcare Professionals who care for us!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Exodus 15:26 New American Standard Bible 1995
26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
Let us Pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You, that You are the great healer. I am thankful I can lay my burdens at Your feet. I pray for Your healing touch in my life. You are my Jehovah-Rapha, and Your grace is sufficient. In Jesus’ name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! AMEN.
Righteous Father, we thank You for being Jehovah Rapha, the Lord God who heals. Thank You for keeping our bodies healthy. Thank You for our health, for guarding our hearts, strengthening our immune systems and helping us to ward off infections and viruses. Thank you for our Heath Care professional whose God given skills and desires towards compassion and care for us We sing praises to You and Your Name.
May your favor be showered upon all of our healthcare workers, God. pray Give them favor and place a hedge of protection around their bodies to guard them from illness so that they can care for the sick. Protect their families and their homes from disease. And use them, Lord.Use them to your Glory in the healing of your Kingdom on earth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
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.
They Come Across A Man Born Blind
The disciples see a man who was born blind, and they assume that his blindness is someone’s fault.
This was a common way of thinking about suffering in those days. Sickness and disability were often believed to be a result of sin somewhere in the family line.
If we think about it, we can see how people could fall into that kind of thinking.
It has happened in many cultures.
If a person has a disability or a terrible disease, if they are mentally challenged or if they are down and out in some kind of hardship too, it can be convenient to point fingers, blame them or their family or even their friends or community.
It calms our fears if we can state a reason or a cause for something we don’t understand—or don’t want to, or gives us a sense of “I am glad I am not like that” or gives us the sense that we are better than others, we are the strongest.
In this story Jesus complicates things even more by implying that God allowed the man to be born blind so that through his healing by Jesus, could help people see the miraculous works of God being done, that God is indeed in their midst.
This is a very hard teaching to understand—there is no getting around that.
Human suffering is a lot more complicated than we would like to believe.
Sin has broken this world in ways that goes way far beyond our understanding.
But at the same time, this story offers comfort because we see that God can and will work to bring good out of challenges and suffering. God works for our good in all things (Romans 8:28)—and he has redeemed us in Christ (Isaiah 43:1-7).
When the works of God shine through all manner of conceivable adversity, he shows in a unique way that he is good and merciful and loves us without limit.
A Prayer to Help Us Understand How Jesus Heals Us
God’s ways and thoughts are not the same as ours (Isaiah 55:8-13).
We can can expend every available ounce of energy and money to try and ‘work’ life out all the time and we’ll run the danger of missing what’s really important.
Healing is a case example.
Prayer for the miraculous can be boxed in, and we may have an agenda for it.
Line up this way, kneel that way, read these words, worship with these tunes, come forward for prayer IF you have true faith, and hold your hands out, etc.
It almost sounds like a pharmacy prescription!
And if nothing supernatural happens, some believers think God has not lifted a finger or a thought to relieve that person’s ordeal. They may refuse medicines in their own lives, too, seeing hordes of tablets, pills, and injections as worldly.
Yet our passage in John 9:1-12 seriously challenges this view.
Let’s take some time here to contemplate what happened.
Jesus rubbed clay into a man’s eyes to heal him!
Why?
What an unusual thing to do.
Other blind men in the Bible were healed by the Lord instantly, without mud on the eyeballs (Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-42).
Jesus said this particular healing would bring glory to God by the works of the Holy Spirit in this man.
That was destiny.
But why did he use mud?
What was Jesus saying by doing this?
He always did things for a reason.
Is there an underlying message here?
I believe there is.
The same Lord God who formed the first man “from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) used dust, dirt, of the ground to bring life to this blind man’s eyes.
Jesus is reminding us that he is the Creator.
The image of the invisible God with the authority to create and recreate.
He is the master sculptor who uses ordinary things like mud to regenerate.
And, of course, if Christ used clay to heal – how can that be interpreted by the world of modern-day medicine?
If ethically developed, it means that medical treatment is approved by God for our welfare here and now.
Antibiotics, cancer drugs, insulin – all these things are like clay used by God to bring healing to our temporary earthly bodies.
Medicine is essentially the stewardship of the fruits of all God’s creation from the earth reshaped for healing purposes.
That is why we can expend ceaseless amounts of our praise the Lord for non-supernatural, ordinary medicine, as well as miraculous healings from prayer.
So, if your doctor is suggesting a certain medicine today – respect his or her wisdom! Praise the Lord for using clay, the fruits of His creation to bring you healing! And if or as you are healed through prayer – praise Him for that too!
Lastly, whatever your health struggles, never forget the bird song.
Jesus once said (Matthew 10:29) that “not one [sparrow] will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” Trust Him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your [a]body And refreshment to your bones.
Father God – dearest Creator, Healing can seem like a subject too big for my understanding. Thank you for the truth that you look after us here and now through prayers and miraculous healings and via ordinary medicine. I marvel at the fact this body I wear cannot be compared to my future state when you return. 2 Corinthians 5:1 compares it to moving from a tent to a house! What a thought. Your grace is sufficient for me with any thorns in my flesh, here and now. I trust you for your goodness to me. Thank you for your ever-present lovingkindness. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks, So my soul [c]pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and [d]appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him For the [j]help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The [p]help of my countenance and my God.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In our lives we can often face times of discouragement.
Our spirits can feel heavy and our hearts burdened.
When that happens, however, we can either turn it against ourselves or we can turn it to God and lean on him, finding hope in his promises and unfailing love.
Disappointment, discouragement and its consequences can come from various sources—poor decisions, poor choices, failures all sizes, prolonged challenges.
Yet even in the midst of such trials we can choose to put our hope in God. He is our surest refuge and strength, the one who sustains us through every season.
Yesterday my devotional message was that when discouragement threatens to overwhelm us, we can decisively and will definitely find solace in God’s Word.
His mighty acts and daily provisions remind us of his faithfulness, and his promises give us hope for the future.
God is always present to help in times of trouble, and his love and grace are sufficient for us (Psalm 46:1-11; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
As we anchor (Hebrews 6:17-20) our hope in God, our perspective shifts.
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.
As we anchor ourselves in God’s promises, we begin to see beyond our present circumstances, and we focus on the unchanging nature of our heavenly Father.
He is the source of true joy and peace, and in him we find strength to persevere.
Today, if you find yourself discouraged, turn to God in prayer.
Pour out your whole heart before him and listen for his still comforting voice.
Trust in his perfect timing and purposes, knowing that he is working all things together for your good.
Anchoring Your Soul and Keeping a Grateful Heart
Colossians 3:15-17 The Message
15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
Having a grateful heart seems to be rare these days and at a premium to find.
Social media is full and overflowing with discontented hearts–hearts that are angry, disappointed, hurt, grieving, and more. Still, God calls us to be thankful.
So where and how do we gain gratefulness in such an ungrateful world?
Many individuals are living with an outlook of lack, seeing all things they don’t have because it’s much easier to look at our glasses half-empty than half-full.
Seeing our lives as lacking leads us to believe if we only have more—more of the things we believe we need to be happy— our lives our attitudes would be utterly different.
But it’s not even close to being minimally true.
Matthew 6:25-34 The Message
25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Grateful hearts don’t come from comparing ourselves to those front covers on magazines or to owning things, holding positions, or having everyone love us.
In an ever-changing world, there is no guarantee of hanging onto earthly possessions, especially in the shadow of natural disasters, wars, and more.
It’s Up to Us to Choose
Whether we believe it or not, especially as Christians, it’s up to us to choose to where or how we gain our self-esteem, we focus on what God has so graciously given us rather than what the sinful world gives and takes away on a daily basis.
Godly gratefulness is not dependent on what we own; yet, God has given us so much to be thankful for in life.
Colossians 3:15-17 New American Standard Bible 1995
15 Let the peace of Christ [a]rule in your hearts, to which [b]indeed you were called in one body; and [c]be thankful. 16 Let the word of [d]Christ richly dwell within you, [e]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [f]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [g]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Even if we have nothing to our names, we have incredibly valid reasons to thank Him daily.
Things, positions, locations, and more don’t bring authentic happiness; rather, true gratitude comes from deep within us.
Gratefulness as a Sacrifice
Sadly, life sometimes brings tragic losses of loved ones, homes, jobs, and more, but still God calls us to be thankful.
He knows our weaknesses and understands how it can be difficult for us to do so when we’re disappointed, discouraged, suffering, or grieving.
Although 1 Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” it doesn’t mean we thank God for the sad situations, but thank Him in the midst of them.
Some believers are confused by this verse, thinking God expects us to thank Him for the sad and tragic situations and losses that bring us disappointment, discouragement, suffering, and grief.
But He’s not.
God’s given us so many spiritual blessings, which are not dependent on our circumstances, we can praise Him and give Him thanks no matter our situation.
He is compassionate, recognizes this kind of gratitude as a sweet sacrifice to Him.
Psalm 116:17 encourages our sacrificial thankfulness. “I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 116:12-19 New American Standard Bible 1995
12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits [a]toward me? 13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people. 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His godly ones. 16 O Lord, [b]surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, You have loosed my bonds. 17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people, 19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. [c]Praise [d]the Lord!
When we do, God responds, as recorded in Psalm 50:23. “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor Me, and to the blameless I will show My salvation.”
In uncertain times, God calls us to focus on Him and His faithfulness instead of our situations, to remind ourselves of His promise to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and to trust Him to help us through everything we face in life.
O God, when disappointed and discouraged, in our failures, may we turn around to find hope, peace, strength in you. Fill our hearts with praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
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.
25 With the kind You show Yourself kind; With the [a]blameless You show Yourself blameless; 26 With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself [b]astute. 27 For You save an afflicted people, But haughty eyes You abase. 28 For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness. 29 For by You I can [c]run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is [d]blameless; The word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 31 For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God, 32 The God who girds me with strength And [e]makes my way [f]blameless? 33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me upon my high places. 34 He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your [g]gentleness makes me great. 36 You enlarge my steps under me, And my [h]feet have not slipped.
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 David recounts the works of God in his life, he acknowledges that everything comes from the Lord – oil for his lamp, military help, strength to climb a wall.
His great song rises out of his many years of trusting God and seeing him deliver, whether it was when David defeated Goliath with God’s help, five stones and a sling, or when the Lord gave him a hiding place from Saul.
These testing times provided David with a choice; he could trust God to take him through the difficulties or blame him because things weren’t going to plan.
As we read throughout the books of Samuel and Kings, David wasn’t perfect, high energy intrigue, bad decisions, was too often his best friend but he learned from his mistakes and sought after God. And after a long lifetime of seeing God make good on his promises, he wants to attribute all the glory, honor to him.
Our Westernized world is so vastly different from that of David’s. We have the conveniences of modern life such as travel, communication, and technology.
With all of these things making our lives easier (but more complicated), we can be ever so easily tempted to think that we have all of the control over our lives.
But if our hearts are tender towards God, we see that he is the source of all we have and do. Sometimes, however, we only turn to God as a last resort because of disaster, calamity, or sickness and our utter failures to bring control to any.
Today, how can we follow David’s lead in attributing all the glory to the Lord?
Perhaps it is in offering to God that misunderstanding with a friend.
To seek his wisdom when the circumstances of our lives go far off the rails.
To ask him to help us see all those annoying circumstances as he sees them.
To, without any hesitation whatsoever, say thank you when we complete a project, have a joyous time with a loved one, make it to our destination safely.
God’s help is as present today as it was for David.
As we come to learn how, when to trust in him moment by moment, we too will be able to say he has provided for our needs and turned our darkness into light.
A Prayer to See God’s Light in the Darkness
Psalm 18:28 Amplified Bible
28 For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.
I sit here at my computer right now, wanting to type, but not really knowing what and how much to say.
So many things, circumstances and places and events and people are on my surgically repaired heart, with so precious little that I know to do to help out.
The world as a whole, as well as our little worlds around us, can look so very bleak, and incomprehensively dark at times – wars and conflicts just abound.
So, I do the only thing I can: I go to God’s Word for reassurance of who He is.
I remind myself of all that He’s done, and I find hope in all that He is able to do.
If you are near or in, those places today, read over this list, mark these verses in your Bible, and know, without a doubt, these things are true and can be trusted:
The Lord is here in our midst (Zephaniah. 3:17).
17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
In the middle of dark, messy, incredibly painful things.
I know that He illuminates all of the darkness when nothing and no one else can (2 Samuel 22:29).
29 “For You, O Lord, are my lamp; The Lord illumines and dispels my darkness.
I know He will never change, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.
I know that the same Jesus who walked this earth thousands of years ago is here with us now (Matthew 28:20).
18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
In our hearts, in our homes, in our day-to-day moments when we invite Him in (Revelation 3:20).
20 Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.
I know that with each year that passes the hard things don’t seem to get any less…maybe even more (Ecclesiastes 7:14).
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one as well as the other, So that man will not find out anything that will be after him.
And I know that the Lord has sustained me and those I love through them all (Psalm 54:4).
4 Behold, God is my helper and ally; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul [my upholder].
I know that when I am weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).
8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; 9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].
That when I am weary, He gives me rest (Matthew 11:28-30).
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
That when all else fails, He doesn’t (Psalm 121).
121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]— From where shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly].
5 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun will not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your life. 8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] From this time forth and forever.
I know that when I am afraid, I can trust in Him (Psalm 56:1-4).
56 Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled on me; All day long the adversary oppresses and torments me. 2 My enemies have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me. 3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You. 4 In God, whose word I praise; In God I have put my trust; I shall not fear. What can mere man do to me?
I know that He has been faithful in the past and He will be in the future (Hebrews 10:23).
A New and Living Way
19 Therefore, [a]believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, 20 by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh, 21 and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, 22 let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; 24 and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, 25 not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.
I know that He holds all things together…He holds me together (Colossians 1:17).
15 He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. 16 For [a]by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] 18 He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the [b]church; and He is the beginning, [c]the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything. 19 For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), 20 and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.
I know that His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
I know that He bends down to listen when I pray, so I will never stop (Psalm 116:2).
Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.
116 I love the Lord, because He hears [and continues to hear] My voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs). 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.
I know that He hurts when I hurt (Isaiah63:9).
God’s Ancient Mercies Recalled
7 I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has done for us, And His great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has shown them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses. 8 For He said, “Be assured, they are My people, Sons who will not be faithless.” So He became their Savior [in all their distresses]. 9 In all their distress He was distressed, And the [a]angel of His presence saved them, In His love and in His compassion He redeemed them; And He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
I know that He wants all of us to come to Him (1 Timothy 2:4).
A Call to Prayer
2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, 2 for [a]kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This [kind of praying] is good and acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who [b]wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth.
I know that He created me with a purpose that every situation in my life is a part of (Ephesians 2:10).
10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
I know that He fights for me if I will only be still (Exodus 14:14).
The Sea Is Divided
13 Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.”
I know that He is the Rock I can build my life on (Psalm 18:2).
18 “I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength.” 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.
I know that if I grow my roots down into Him my faith will not be shaken when hard things come (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
5 Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind, Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength, And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord. 6 “For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert; And shall not see prosperity when it comes, But shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness, In an uninhabited salt land. 7 “Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. 8 “For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, That spreads out its roots by the river; And will not fear the heat when it comes; But its leaves will be green and moist. And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought Nor stop bearing fruit.
I know that the work I do for Him is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].
I know that He’s real (Romans 1:19).
Unbelief and Its Consequences
18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.
I know that His Word is Truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I know that He can make impossible situations possible (Mark 10:27), unbearable situations bearable, and the unthinkable thinkable.
24 The disciples were [a]amazed and bewildered by His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is [for those who place their hope and confidence in riches] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were completely and utterly astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
I know that He will be with us wherever we go, that we don’t have to be afraid (Joshua 1:9). Ever.
7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do [everything] in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be [a]successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I know that He is the light of the world and darkness cannot overcome Him (John 1:5).
The Deity of Jesus Christ
1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and [b]the Word was God Himself. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the [c]darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].
And you can know these scriptural truths too. John 14:5-6
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
In the verse from Psalm 18:28 at the top, David said “my God” and “my darkness” because they were his personally.
We all have dark places at times.
Hard things can leave us feeling lost and unseen.
But you are not lost, and you are not unseen by Jesus.
He is the light you are looking for.
He is the One, the only One who can make things right in your world.
Neither you nor I don’t sit alone in those hard places.
Call out to Jesus, your personal Savior, to bring you out of the darkness and into the light with Him-in the fullest assurance, I fully know He will meet you there.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
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.
Dear Jesus, Life can feel so very dark at times, not just for the world around me but for me personally. Help me to turn my eyes to you, to remember the truth of who you are, and to put my hope in you and your Word. Thank you for lighting up my darkness and meeting me where I am.Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 