Tag: God

When Checking into God’s Hospital: Let us remember to say a Prayer for the Doctors and Nurses. Mark 2:14-17

Mark 2:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

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.”

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 and powerfully 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.

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A Man Born Blind: A Time of Prayer to Understand How Jesus Heals Us. John 9:1-12

John 9:1-12 New International Version

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

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.

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A Prayer to Keep a Grateful Heart; For still Finding Hope in God’s Promises. Psalm 42

Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

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.

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God, who is our source: A Prayer for Seeing God’s Light in the Darkness. Psalm 18:28-29

Psalm 18:25-36 New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

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Having Our Heavenly Father’s Ear all to Ourselves: Time alone with God in our Prayer Closets. Matthew 6:5-6

Matthew 6:5-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

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

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

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

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.

Daddy’s Ear

Jesus invites his followers into an intimate love relationship with God the Father.

The privilege of that intimacy might best be seen in how Jesus teaches us to pray.

Though God is almighty and maintains the entire universe, he also attends to the prayers of his children.

Most citizens think of their president as the most powerful person in the nation.

Most would feel fortunate to get even a few minutes of his time.

But when one of his children calls, if he is a good dad, he’ll answer and listen.

They have an ear with the president that any CEO or political leader would envy.

They are the only one’s who can call him “Daddy.”

Their agenda is not national security or some international crisis.

Their access is based on the fact that he is their loving father, who always cares for them and wants what is best for them.

With us, God wants a relationship that is infinitely more caring and loving.

He has given his heart to us.

Jesus came to be one of us and to die so that we could live forever with God.

Our Father has made himself available to us anytime, anywhere. Almighty God is our loving Father, who is never too busy to hear the prayers of his beloved children. Do you have this kind of relationship with the God of the universe?

Do we ever, even take daily advantage to “tug” on our Heavenly Father’s ear?

Our private alone time with our Heavenly Father, does it even exist in our time?

What Is a Prayer Closet?

Matthew 6:5-6 Easy-to-Read Version

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get. 6 But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Several years ago, there was a highly acclaimed movie that came out called “War Room,” which centered on the importance of the personal prayer closet.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend renting it tonight and watching with your whole family! 

In the movie, a woman is confronted with a crisis which forces her to get truly serious about her relationship with God, and to experience the power of prayer to change things.

She takes the King James Scripture translation literally (…when thou prayest, enter into thy closet…), and empties out her bedroom closet of clothes, shoes, jewelry and other personal items, and replaces them with a chair, post-it notes with Scriptures and family photos. 

Thereafter, the movie revolves around her regular and routine visits to this prayer closet, now effectively transformed into a spiritual “war room,” where she fights with all she has against the enemy’s attack on her family.

I promise you that after you see this inspirational movie, you will consider cleaning out your closet.

But before you box up your coats and shoes, you should understand a few basic things about what a prayer closet is and what actually should happen there. 

Where We Meet with God

With all due respect to the King James translation, most modern versions don’t use “closet” anymore, but rather “room,” “private room” or “inner room.”

The Greek word is tameion, which simply means an “inner storage chamber or secret room.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5009/esv/mgnt/0-1

We might describe it today as a safety deposit box or vault. It describes that place where one’s most valuable possessions and treasure can be kept safe. 

So Jesus is telling us in Matthew 6:6, we all need a place where we regularly and routinely meet with our most valued treasure in this life… our heavenly Father!

He is the One whose resources never run out or run dry, the One who can solve any problem we have and deliver us from every demonic attack.

There is nothing more treasured, valuable to us than our relationship with God. 

Where We Become Vulnerable

Over time, this word translated as “closet” was used to describe a bedchamber where a husband and wife were able to be intimate.

The very act of disrobing makes a person vulnerable, exposed to their spouse.

So the idea of Matthew 6:6 also includes going to a place where we let down our guard before God, allow Him to examine our hearts, thoughts without shame.  

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

It’s a place where we cannot hide our hurts, it is a place where we cannot lie about our failures or even try to pretend before God to have all the answers.

Where We Change Clothes 

King James’ residence in Edinburg, Scotland, is reported to have an interior room in the master bedroom.

Much like a large walk-in closet of today, it’s where the king changed his clothes.  

So to extend the illustration, our “prayer closet” of Matthew 6:6 will be a place where we experience change; it’s where we go to remove the soiled rags of this life and be clothed in His righteous image and His spiritual armor.

We exchange clothes of fear for the shield of faith, clothes of confusion for the helmet of salvation, clothes of hurt, shame for the breastplate of righteousness.

Ultimately, the private time we spend with God in our “prayer closet” will pave the way for public success. 

But Why Do We Need a “Prayer Closet”?

So by now it should be pretty clear that you don’t really need to hire an architect to redesign your bedroom closet.

The prayer closet is not as much about “place” as it is about attitude and commitment.

Your particular prayer closet could indeed be a cleaned-out closet, or a small guest room.

It could be the man cave or the she shed.

Perhaps it’s an attic or bonus room or a even a particular chair in the corner of the living room.

It can be wherever you chose to spend time with God in prayer, without the interruption of family or daily life. 

So why should we select one, dedicated spot to become our “prayer closet”?

1. Sometimes, We Just Need to Shut the Door

Matthew 6:6 Easy-to-Read Version

6 But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.

The real power of the prayer closet comes from claiming a space that you can inoffensively close off the entrance of others (children, pets, phone and social media notifications), invite the Holy Spirit to create the proper atmosphere and get quiet enough to hear His still, small voice speaking wisdom and direction.

It also protects you from being hushed by the unbelieving attitudes of others, as you stand and loudly declare in faith the promises of God over your situation. In short, behind closed doors make for a more powerful and successful prayer life.

Whether we realize it or not, one of the primary ways the enemy brings destruction into our lives is through constant interruptions and distraction in our pursuit of God. Any of this sound familiar?

– I would pray… but I’m exhausted trying to make ends meet.

– I would pray… but the kids keep pestering me.

– I would pray… but I really need to study.

– I would pray… but this business meeting just came up.

– I would pray… but my husband needs my attention.

– I would pray… but I have a deadline I just can’t miss.

– I would pray… but I don’t have enough time in the morning as it is.

– I would pray…but I must keep up with social media to stay relevant.

Short answer?

No, no, no… just no!

Actually, I must check in with my heavenly Father and get His power and wisdom for every task I need to accomplish in the day.

I need to confirm that He likes what I am doing, and that I get the inside scoop on what’s trending in Heaven.

I need to be filled with supernatural energy to perform with excellence in life, and to be a source of strength to my family and children. And to accomplish all of that, I must shut the door on every distraction when I go to God in prayer.

2. God Will Make Sure We Will Always Require, Need, Private Time with God.

Too often when we pray openly around other people, we become self-conscious and spend more time trying to impress them with our words, than we do truly pressing into God.

I’m reasonably sure you know exactly what I am talking about: those long and arduous prayers said in King James English… to bless the church potluck lunch!

These are the modern equivalent of the hypocrite’s prayers of Matthew 6:5.

True prayer is not a time to impress people – it’s meant to lock in and join forces with God; to wage war against an enemy which seeks our defeat and destruction -and as Jesus publicly said, it’s what we do in private that paves the way for what people will see in public.

One of my life mentors once told me,

“If you want the anointing on your life, make sure your private time in prayer exceeds your public time on the pulpit.”

I believe it’s the foundation of a Christian’s success in life, not just in ministry.

Here’s a little observation: it seems you can always tell who has a powerful prayer life, who doesn’t, simply by the fruit that is evidenced in their life! Selah.

Prayer is the spiritual discipline that is practiced in private, but the rewards are manifested in public.

It manifests in our character, our wisdom, our attitude, our blessings, our joy, our favor, our peace and our power!

Jesus said we need a “prayer closet” because that private place paves the way for our public success!

3. We Want to Know God’s Will for Our Lives

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Clearly, our loving heavenly Father has amazing things for each of us to do and experience in this life.

And if I were to ask, I believe everyone would want to know the results of that God search, so we can make appropriate decisions to cooperate with His will.

We know intuitively and from Scripture that God’s will for us is “good and acceptable and perfect,” so we really should do all we can to discern what His will is!

John 13:34-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

However, between us and the manifestation of God’s good plans there is a cross that we must bear.

Matthew 16:24-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and 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 of His Father with His angels, and will then [c]repay every man according to his [d] deeds.

God’s good plans for us are often dependent on our denying ourselves and our doing things God’s way.

John 3:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 You yourselves [a]are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the [b]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

What’s that look like for you? Is it…

– a habit you need to kick?

– an offense you need to forgive?

– a relationship you need to exit?

– a discipline you need to develop?

– an act of obedience you need to practice?

– a wound you need to allow God to heal?

What is it that is standing in the way of God’s will for your life?

And more importantly, how can you surrender your will in that area to God’s will, especially when everything in you doesn’t want to do it God’s way? 

Surrender through prayer.

Run to that prayer closet, shut the door and ask God to do heart surgery on you so that you can say, “Not my will but Yours, Lord Jesus!”

It’s in that place that you will receive the supernatural help that you need to fight that battle and every future one that you face in life.

His supernatural help comes when I enter my prayer closet and meet with the Source of my strength, and the strength of my life – God, my Father!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 27:7-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!

Thank you, Lord, for loving us and hearing our prayers. You are never too busy for your children. May we be as eager to pray as you are to listen and respond. Amen.

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Why All of those Persistent Prayers: Why Do We Need Jesus Every Hour? Luke 11:1-8

Luke 11:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

Instruction about Prayer

11 It happened that while [a]Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘[b]Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 ‘Give us each day our [c]daily bread.
4 ‘And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

5 Then He said to them, “[d]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [e]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [f]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

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.

2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘[b]Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 ‘Give us each day our [c]daily bread.
4 ‘And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [f]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

Sometimes I wonder that Christians talk and write too much about prayer.

It would be better if, like the disciples, we’d watch and learn as others pray.

Today’s Bible reading shows that Jesus had no problem having his disciples watch him pray. It must have been quite profound and inspirational the way that Jesus prayed that made one disciple urge him to teach them all to pray.

It is the practice of Jewish men to open their days with the Shema prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4 and then pray the same prayer three or more times per day.

The prayer begins and concludes every single worship service in the synagogue.

It begins and concludes every individual and family prayer session in the home.

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

Is there a new teaching coming from the Master Rabbi?

Is there a radically significant change coming about their routine of Prayer?

Jesus responded by teaching them to pray what is now known as “the Lord’s Prayer.” (See also Matthew 6:9-13.)

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

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

More likely an enhancement, a deepening of the personal relationship each of them already shares. We can be assured that Jesus’ praying was not limited to the brief petitions here. Prayer is an integral part of our relationship with God. Jesus made that clear by adding the illustration of a dialogue between friends.

In light of this, we should understand that daily praying to our Heavenly Father as boldly as we would approach a friend probably surprised the disciples as well as many other followers-teach others to pray-teach others what they all know?

A friend’s boldness is based on the measure and depth of their friendship, and we can definitely trust our heavenly Father to be so much closer than a friend.

John 15:13-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and  that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

So too our heavenly Father will give us what friendship we need—and often, much more that is good for us.

Mainly, though, it’s our needs that God will provide, not our wants—and we can trust that.

So too I pray we may be bold, persistent as we talk with our Father in heaven?

Why Do We Need Jesus Every Hour?

Luke 11:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Instruction about Prayer

11 It happened that while [a]Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘[b]Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 ‘Give us each day our [c]daily bread.
4 ‘And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

There is nothing quite as sweet as getting a worship song stuck in your head and having the lyrics float back into your head throughout the day–often when you need them most.

To me, it feels like an affectionate touch from Jesus, a playful reminder that he is there with me and experiencing my day with me.

Like a lover pulling your face towards them so they can look into your eyes, Jesus uses so many things to bring our attention back to him.

The lyrics that have been floating around my head for the past week have been from the 1873 hymnal “I Need Thee Every Hour:” 

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

The funny thing is, I really struggle with believing that I need Jesus every hour.

My pride hates having that kind of desperation; my fear hates having to depend on someone else. But these lyrics remind us that in every instance that we need Jesus is an instance that he shows up for us.

So why do we need Jesus every hour? And why is this a beautiful thing?

1. Provision

“The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4

We depend on Jesus for everything–even our very breath!

As much as we trick ourselves into thinking we can do it all on our own, we would be nothing without the provision of Jesus.

Sure, we can handle having a full-time job, raising kids, and working out.

But can we provide ourselves with oxygen?

Can we cause food to grow by our own stubborn will?

Did we even INVENT food, or is that also something that God created to take care of us?

Our sovereign trinity provides every breath for us, every morsel of food, every drop of water, every fiber of shelter, every relationship.

The next time you’re conscious of your breathing, thank Jesus for sustaining your life with his own breath.

2. Existence

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:3-4

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Hebrews 1:3a

Everything that we see, have, experience all comes from Jesus.

He created everything in this beautiful world for our benefit.

And in him is life!

Jesus sustains our existence.

Even though it may feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, the truth is that Jesus upholds everything and everyone by his own power.

We are utterly dependent on him–and he is so happy to be depended on.

3. Grace

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

Jesus’ blood continually cleanses us from sin.

Even when we think we’ve had a “pretty good day” and can’t recall any overt sin that we committed, there’s a 100% chance that each and every single one of us have still “fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

We still secretly harbor jealousy or bitterness towards our coworkers, friends, or family. We still think nasty things about the guy who cut us off in traffic. We will still take the very last piece of pie, cake instead of considering our spouse.

We sin in a million, instantaneous, indiscernible ways every day.

But Jesus’ blood continually cleanses us anyways.

What a gift that we receive again and again and again.

4. Belonging

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–” John 1:12

Belonging to a family is one of the deepest, most inherent, most essential needs that we are born into this world with.

It’s how we get our identity, our sense of safety, our purpose, and our bearing in a scary, complex world. And this is something we’ll never grow out of needing.

Even if our family rejects us, we have a family because of Jesus.

Psalm 27:10 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 [a]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

Even if we reject ourselves,

Psalm 22:6 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.

Jesus will always still give us a place to belong! 

5. Security

“What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web.” Job 8:14

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” Isaiah 28:16

Speaking of a scary world, it is extremely disorienting when we realize that the things we typically put our trust in–our jobs, our marriage, our money, our status, etc.–are just spiderwebs. They don’t hold us up for even one second.

But Jesus is the cornerstone that can depended on.

He guides the building of the rest of our lives and makes it so we can ultimately know what we’re doing and where we’re going.

As the 1834 hymn “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” puts it:

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.

6. Unconditional Love

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

This is a good thing!

The God of love created us, God himself is love.

Love gives our existence meaning.

Without love, we are alone, purposeless, and darkened.

We especially need this unconditional love when we have messed up (which, as I’ve said, happens innumerable times a day).

Even if you’re a tough guy and think you could make it in life without love, just think about the times from your childhood that you were harmed by others’ not loving you the way you needed. We all need love, and we all need it all the time.

Thankfully, Jesus demonstrated that his love is as unconditional as it gets: dying for us while we were still his enemies.

7. Salvation

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

We don’t know when Jesus is coming back or when the day of judgment will be–Jesus himself doesn’t even know! (Matthew 24:36).

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

And I, for one, don’t wish to be relying on my own righteousness when that day does come.

We rely on Jesus’ salvation every second of every day, because we can do nothing on our own (John 15:5).

5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

It is such a beautiful thing that we have Jesus to rely on.

He gives us our breath; he sustains our very existence; he continually purifies us; he gives us a place at the table; he is our Rock; he loves us no matter what; and he cannot wait to take us home with him as his bride when that day comes. (Psalm 18)

We do need him every hour. Truly, we need him minute, every second, every millisecond, every nanosecond, for eternity!

And thankfully, Jesus himself kindly invites us to depend on him: “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’” (Matthew 19:14).

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

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.

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

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God’s Answers for Life’s Challenges: Moses and Overcoming Inadequacy. Exodus 4:1-13

Exodus 4:1-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Moses Given Powers

4 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen [a]to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his [b]hand— 5 “that  they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you or [c]heed the [d]witness of the first sign, they may believe the [e]witness of the last sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [f]eloquent, neither  [g]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [h] slow of speech and [i]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [j]send the message by whomever You will.”

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.

Moses was from the Levitical line from Jacob, and was called to be God’s great prophet to Israel.

Set afloat upon the Nile River by his mother to protect him from Pharaoh’s wrath and lethal edict against the lives of the Hebrew children, he was found by the daughters of that Pharaoh and he was raised to be a Prince in their courts.

Driven out of Egypt by a murder charge, walked through the wilderness to the land of Median where he was the one who would lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, and became the nation’s renowned Lawgiver, at eighty years of age!

Kept by God in social isolation for half his life, he was in the despised vocation of sheep-herder, lived in the parched, arid wilderness, where his self-will was allowed to rest for 40 years, raise a family but still suffer as a broken criminal.

It was here that one day the fiery flame of the Lord met with him at the burning bush and Moses found himself being summoned by the God of His fore fathers, called out of comfort by his name to save God’s people from slavery in Egypt.

Before his intense training program, Moses thought He could do all things through his own strength.

But it was not until his will was built up in Egypt, torn down and crushed by the Lord in his own exile, his wilderness walk, that Moses had his earth-shattering encounter with God alone on Mount Sinai, Who announced, “I AM Who I AM.”

Moses… the former prideful prince of Egypt, became the most humble of men, due to his encounter with God.

He immediately recoiled from the enormous responsibility God chose to lay upon his shoulders.

How could a man that stuttered so badly and spoke so inarticulately be the chosen mouthpiece for the God of the universe?

How could Moses convey God’s orders to the great king of the earth?

“I am not a man of words,” he pleaded.

“I am not good at public speaking. I do not have a gift of the gab. I am not fluent in language. I find it difficult to get my words out and stumble over my speech – I am not an eloquent orator” – were his excuses.

Moses had not yet proved God’s sufficient grace.

He had yet to discover that His grace is perfected in our weaknesses.

Moses had not yet acknowledged the inexhaustible riches of God’s grace and His unlimited power to work in the lives of His people.

But God not only makes man’s lips and mouths. He makes the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and gives sight to the blind.

The Lord is the One Who possesses power over all the senses, attributes of men.

He is the One that created all things, and He is the One Who holds all things together. God is well able to equip His chosen vessel with the qualification and abilities needed to fulfil His heavenly instructions – for His grace, and His grace alone is sufficient, His strength alone which is made perfect in our weakness.

Claiming to have a speech impediment was only one of a number of excuses Moses gave to the Lord.

He was also concerned that Israel would neither believe him nor respect his word, and he begged God to send someone else who was more qualified than he.

He claimed that he would not be able to explain Who the Lord was to the people, and had to be told sternly, “I AM Who I AM.” Moses had to learn that God alone was the only answer to every single question and the provider for all we need.  

Believing in God and Our Overcoming Inadequacy

Exodus 4:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [a]eloquent, neither [b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [c] slow of speech and [d]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [e]send the message by whomever You will.”

Matthew 10:17-20 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

In our life of faith, there are times when God calls us to tasks that can seem beyond our abilities.

Like Moses, we might think we lack the skills or eloquence to do what God has asked.

Severe doubts and insecurities can grip our hearts, causing us to question whether we can truly serve God’s purpose.

When God called Moses to go before Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses hesitated.

He felt that he could not communicate the message well.

He may even have had a speech impediment.

But God said, “Who gave human beings their mouths?”

In other words, God is the one who equips and empowers the ones he calls. So he assured Moses that he would be with him, guiding his words and actions.

Just as God did not overlook Moses’ concerns, he also sees our severest doubts and knows our all too real limitations.

But God chooses us, imperfect as we are, to accomplish his plans.

And it is in our moments of weakness that God’s strength shines through. He deeply delights in using us to accomplish extraordinary feats for his glory.

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works  than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:10-15)

When we feel inadequate, remember our sufficiency comes from God alone.

He provides all the necessary resources, wisdom, and strength to carry out his purposes. We can always trust that God will equip us with exactly what we need, when we need, require it and he will never leave us to face our challenges alone.

We show in the words we speak that our hearts are in tune with God.

Jesus tells his disciples to worry not because they “will be given what to say.” (Matthew 10:19)

Sharing Christ is not simply a matter of thinking up the right words to say; we must allow God’s words to flow through us.

The lessons Moses had to learn are as relevant today as the day he was ordered to remove his shoes from on the holy mount of God.

It is never easy when the Lord says GO, for we often want to stay.

Nor is it easy when He instructs us to STAND STILL and wait, for too often we think we want to go.

But when our fleshly self-will has finally been broken by our gracious God and we can then unreservedly whisper, “Thy will, not mine be done,” as did Christ in Gethsemane… then as we open our mouth we will pray and speak the words that He Himself chooses to give us, and we all will finally discover His grace IS sufficient for His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [a]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

British Theologian and Evangelist F.B. Meyer (1847-1929) summed up the attitude that each of us should have when God places a call on any of our lives,

“Cherish the lowliest thought you choose of yourself, but unite it with the loftiest conception of God’s All-Sufficiency. Self-depreciation may lead to the marring of a useful life. We must think soberly of ourselves, not too lowly… nor too extravagantly. The one talent must not be buried in the earth.”

John 16:32-33 New American Standard Bible 1995

32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

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.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Lord God, thank you for choosing us despite our weaknesses. Forgive our array of excuses, strengthen us to step out in faith to serve as you call us to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

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Thanks Be to God! I believe Easter is never going to be quite done with me. John 20:17-18.

John 20:11-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in [a]Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

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.

Stuck in Grief, Pulled Into Joy

Mary stood outside Jesus’ tomb, crying. Her Lord and friend had died, and a real and legitimate grief had come over her.

But Mary’s grief entombed her.

It blurred her vision so that when she saw the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb, she assumed that someone had stolen his body.

And when she saw Jesus standing in front of her, she thought he was a gardener.

Unrecognized, Jesus, fully alive, faced a friend who was blinded by so much grief that she couldn’t see him.

Perhaps Jesus spoke Mary’s name softly, gently.

But he might well have said it forcefully to shake her out of her grief: “Mary!”—as if to say, “Get a grip on yourself! I’m alive! I’ve conquered death. I’ve broken its grip. Mary! Leave the tomb behind and come into the joy of new life!”

Sometimes grief or other harsh realities can overwhelm us so much that we forget Jesus is alive. But he has conquered death—our death, our loved ones’ deaths—and our future is safe in his hands.

We legitimately grieve the deaths of people we love, and we struggle with the cruelties of injustice and corruption in this world, but we do so knowing that our grief will one day turn to joy. What a thankful call to new thankful living!

Christ has risen, and one day he will return again!

Expecting Even More …

Yesterday Christians everywhere celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Some of us may have sang the words, “I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today” and in that moment of worship, our hearts resonated with every word.

Today, however, we’re back to school or work or at home facing the pressures of everyday life that we left when we each left our homes to go to our churches.

But with the long passage of time between the resurrection and now, the risen Savior may not seem nearly as close today, and little may seem to have changed.

We’re still faced with that lingering disease, that broken relationship, those same financial problems, or those hardships that come with growing older.

We hear about all the same issues as before being poverty and persecution, about war and conflict in so many countries, and we might just find ourselves asking, “Has Easter really made a difference? How has it changed me for the better? Has anything changed in the past 2,000 years since Jesus’ resurrection? Are things any better in the 21st century than they were in the first century?”

Though nations, technology, and social institutions have changed a lot since then, the human condition, our circumstances are still pretty much the same.

God’s image bearers are still addicted to sin, are still refusing to acknowledge that sin is the very severest of personal issues still confronting all of us today.

Jesus warned his followers, “In this world you will have trouble.”

But because he has overcome the world, we can have new life in him and peace in spite of our struggles.

We can believe despite of our present life circumstance and how we got to that particular circumstance through our life’s experiences, God is not done with us.

We can continue to strive beyond ourselves, to engage the kingdom of God in the place in life we find ourselves to enact God’s restoration in our daily lives.

We can in our full acknowledgement of the resurrection, share his love with others and look forward together to the day when the risen Savior will return!

For Christians, Christ’s triumph over death and sin is the very best news.

Jesus is risen!

God’s promises of forgiveness and new life for his people have been fulfilled.

But the resurrection means infinitely more than an empty tomb.

Mary saw that morning that the tomb was empty—and that was something she didn’t expect.

It was a shock to find that Jesus’ body was gone, and she thought it had been taken somewhere else.

Had it been stolen? Or had someone just moved it? She wondered.

Jesus’ response to Mary indicates that she found more at the empty tomb than she had even imagined.

Through her tears, Mary saw Jesus—risen and alive again!

But she didn’t realize it was him until he called her name.

That’s how it is for us too.

He calls our name too!

He calls us, and we go forth into those places of mission and ministry, we follow him and we glorify, and honor him as the One who has ascended to the Father.

As important as the empty tomb is to the Christian faith, we do not simply linger at the tomb and wonder what has happened there.

We listen to Jesus calling our name, inviting us into a new adventure that leads us to even more—to become witnesses for the risen and ascended Lord.

You are invited to follow the risen Jesus. In what ways can you do that today?

I don’t think Easter is quite done with me yet.

John 20:17-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

I know what glorious things this Holy Day says to the world at large.

But what does Jesus want me to know, to think about, to wrestle through at this time of year? This season of new beginnings.

So, I’m lingering here a bit longer.

After all, Easter is no longer a ritual to me.

It’s a revelation.

A time where Jesus splits my soul along the fault line of a scar deep within: I was an unwanted and heavily bullied human, no one wanted to be my friend.

Unwanted, heavily bullied and teased, no friends I could ever trust or count on.

But to Jesus … I was wanted so much that He gave His life for me.

It feels so personal.

Even though I know God so loved the world, He gave His son, it becomes very individual if we let it and if we live in it and out from it.

Be personal.

With Jesus.

Yes.

So, in the midst of a world putting Easter away, might we let it sit with us for just a bit more?

I just opened my Bible open to the place where the angel spoke to the women at the tomb.

Matthew 28:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “[a]Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.  7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

And I am tangling my thoughts around His words from Matthew 28 as six quietly and ever so subtly prayers, emerge into my resurrected spirit …

• “Do not be afraid,” – God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith squelched by fear.

• “I know that you are looking for Jesus,” – God, when my soul is searching, help me know the answer to every longing can be found in You.

• “He has risen,” – God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me to live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.

• “just as he said,” – Jesus, You keep Your promises. Help me live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.

• “Come and see,” – Jesus, You had the angels invited the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself … You, Your Word, Your insights.

• “Then go quickly and tell his disciples,” – Jesus, I don’t ever want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted human whom You loved, redeemed and wanted.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be personal.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be relational.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be transformational.

And, above all, let this my miraculous Easter be fervently prayerful.

And may I rise from my circumstances to linger with Jesus a bit longer.

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.

Because God is NEVER done with YOU!

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The Veil Was Torn: Our Long Awaited Reunion with Our God. Matthew 27:51

Matthew 27:50-54 New American Standard Bible 1995

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the [a]veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the [b]saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was [c]the Son of 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.

Welcome, beloved readers to this blessed gathering where we come together to draw nearer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are all united here today, not by chance, but by the divine will of God and His love that binds us together, a love so truly profound that it was manifested in the most extraordinary sacrifice known to mankind.

Our focus today is on the heart of our faith, the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We’ll be looking at the momentous events that took place in Matthew 27:50-51.

The scripture reads as follows:

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.

These two verses, though brief, carry a weight of significance that continues to shape our faith and our lives.

They speak of the moment when salvation was secured, not by our own works, but through the cross.

They tell the story of a world forever changed by the resurrection of Christ.

And, they serve to remind us of the scriptural promises fulfilled through these miraculous events.

In the words of the esteemed Charles Spurgeon,

“The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.”

This quote, my dear brothers and sisters, is a reminder that our faith is often forged in the hardcore crucible of trials and tribulations. But let us not forget, it is through these very hardcore trials we are all drawn closer to the cross, to the sacrifice made by our Lord, and to the promise of resurrection and eternal life.

As we embark on this sacred reflection, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with humble hearts, thankful for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that You open our hearts and minds to the profound truths found in Your Word. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may gain a deeper understanding of Your love, Your sacrifice, and Your promise of eternal life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Matthew 27:50-51 Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. 51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

Have you every pondered the reason that the first verse after Jesus’ death in three of the four gospels is the fact that the temple veil, curtain, tore in two?

Why is this so significant?

How does this apply to all believers today?

We are going to spend time studying the value and wonder of our great and victorious Savior whose death tears down the veil and makes us His own again. 

What Was the Veil?

When we first hear of the word veil, we may think about a bride or just simply a covering.

This curtain was established in the times of Moses.

It was intentionally placed to divide the holy of holies in the temple of God (The Tabernacle then). 

Exodus 35:25 says, “Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.”

The veil was in the temple where God dwelled among the Israelites.

The veil was the divider inside between the holy place to the holy of holies.

Only a high priest once a year could enter the holy of holies.

The veil was the physical symbol of separation caused by our sins.

The veil was said to be 60 feet high.

This would not have been easy to get to the top to tear down.

Behind the veil sat the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. The veil concealed the Presence of God. Two cherubs were woven into the veil.

The High Priest’s Privilege 

One time a year during Yom Kippur, one high priest would be selected to go into the holy of holies.

This was a great honor.

It could be a moment of life or death, as they would literally tie a rope around his ankle in case he were to pass away while in the presence of God. 

The priest offered sacrifices and gifts on behalf of the people to reconcile them to God. We know that based on the book of Hebrews that Jesus is called our High Priest. He fulfilled this task of Passover as our sacrificial Perfect Lamb of God. 

One Temple, One Way

There was one temple found in Jerusalem.

As we ponder this thought, that meant that there was only one veil.

One sin caused separation from God.

One veil symbolized that divide.

And one Savior Jesus came and made one way to heaven. 

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We have such a great hope today in Christ.

We do not have to be distanced or feel the need to hide in our shame.

Jesus has unveiled our faces, He has taken away the separation of sin and brought us all into His presence again.

He has sent us the Holy Spirit.

We now are Christ’s temples.

When He is in our hearts, we have security of heaven. 

1 Corinthians 2:1-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the [a]testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my [b]message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not [c]rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 [d]For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

Understanding how the Old Testament is leading up to the New Covenant amazes us.

We gain a greater appreciation and understanding of our Savior’s completely intricate, yet straight forward plan of salvation.

We are reaffirmed that He has delivered us and we are His forever.

We are His bride and we are united with our Groom.

He has called us His own, given us the right to be co-heir’s with Him forever. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

How does knowing the veil was torn for you remind you of the great length Jesus went to in order to save you from your sins?

How does this compel you to live out of that confidence – the cross be our glory.

Salvation Secured Through the Cross

The cross, a symbol of our faith, stands as a testament to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is at the cross where we see the full extent of His love, a love so profound that it led Him to lay down His life for us.

This act of love, this sacrifice, is the bedrock of our faith.

It is the assurance of our salvation.

The cross is not just a symbol of death, but of life.

It is through the cross that we have been given the gift of eternal life.

Jesus, our Savior, bore our sins on the cross.

He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved.

He paid the price for our sins, a price we could never pay.

This is the love of our Savior, a love that secures our salvation.

Jesus Yields His Spirit

Matthew 27:50 Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan].

Now, let us turn our attention to the moment when Jesus yielded up His spirit.

This was not a moment of defeat, but of victory.

It was at this moment that the power of sin and death was broken.

Jesus, in His death, conquered death itself.

He secured our salvation, not through His death alone, but through His resurrection.

His resurrection is the assurance of our own resurrection, the promise of eternal life.

Our Long Awaited Reunion with God

Matthew 27:51 Amplified Bible

51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

The veil of the temple, torn in two from top to bottom, is a powerful symbol of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

The veil separated the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple, from the rest of the temple.

Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year.

The tearing of the veil signifies the breaking down of the barrier between us and God.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have been given direct access to God.

Hebrews 4:15-16 Amplified Bible

15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. 16  Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

We are reunited with God.

We can approach Him with confidence, knowing that we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

The earth quaking and the rocks splitting is a testament to the power of Jesus’ sacrifice.

It is a reminder that His death was not an ordinary death.

It was a momentous event that shook the world.

The cross, the yielding up of Jesus’ spirit, the tearing of the veil, the quaking of the earth and the splitting of the rocks – these are not just events that happened two thousand years ago.

They are truths that continue to shape our lives today.

They are reminders of the love of our Savior, a love that secures our salvation.

They are the assurance of our faith, the promise of our eternal life.

So, let us hold fast to these truths.

Let us confidently live in the light of the cross, in the assurance of our salvation.

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

Let us Pray,

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.

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My stinky sweaty dirty feet and your stinky sweaty dirty feet: Our Praying to Humbly Serve as Jesus did on this Maundy Thursday. John 13: 12-17

John 13:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and [a]you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

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.

Would you let Jesus wash your feet?

It is such a close, personal and an intimate act for someone else to wash them.

And it can be a deeply embarrassing one as well – who wants to submit their dirty, stinky sweaty feet to anyone else – who wants to offend anyone so much?

Isn’t it hard then for us to imagine lifting our filthy toes to the King of Kings?

None of us are the least bit worthy of his kingly care and royal attention; yet in Christ’s perfect love, he gives us nothing less.

Does your human heart struggle like mine to serve others humbly as Jesus did?

Matthew 20:24-28 New American Standard Bible 1995

24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [a]life a ransom for many.”

On the Thursday before his crucifixion, Jesus ate with his disciples in an upper room and taught us what it means to love and serve.

John 13:4-5 tells us Jesus got up from the supper table, removed his robe, then he slowly wrapped a towel around his waist, and he poured water into a basin.

Then, he knelt down, took water into his hands, he looked up at them, he began gently washing disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

We see a precious act of humble servant ministry modeled for us in this scene.

This was a household servant’s job, yet Jesus taught that to lead, teach, and sacrificially love others, we must take on a servant role with a servant’s heart.

John 13:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

“If we know these things, we are blessed if we do them.”

It is such a radically different question we need to ask ourselves today as well.

Well, what is your best considered response? Do we actually authentically, know these things, truly want to know any of these things in these 21st century days?

We must understand what Jesus did for us to love and serve others well.

Fully God, Jesus didn’t cling to his divine privileges,

Philippians 2:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b] grasped,

“but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Jesus welcomes us through his grace and mercy, forgives our sins by his work on the cross, and washes us clean once and for all.

Then, daily, we get to walk with God in a brand new life as a follower of Christ.

As we learn his love, Jesus gives us the capacity to love and serve as He did.

Jesus wanted to ensure His disciples understood He was Teacher, Messiah, Savior, and Lord.

Soon, he would send them to tell the world the Good News that washed in the blood of Jesus Christ we could be made right with God once and for all.

He calls us to share this hope as his disciples today.

After washing His disciple’s feet, Jesus gave them a mandate, or commandment to follow when interacting with people.

The word “command” comes from the Latin word mandatum. 

A shortened form of this word is “maundy,” where we get the term “Maundy Thursday.” 

On this important day, he told his disciples (and us),

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).  

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

May this Holy Week remind us that we have a story to tell as we love and serve.

We get to testify how Jesus saved us and the difference he makes in our lives.

Like Jesus demonstrated, humbly serving others requires us to set aside status and position to love as He did.

From the most lavish to mundane, there are ways we can serve one another every single day.

A humble Christ-like posture and a willing heart are all it takes to respond to the needs around us.  

Consider spending unrushed time with a friend or family member.

Try cleaning up a mess you didn’t make.

Think of ways to bless someone or give above and beyond a typical donation, benevolence, or offering.

Serving might be costly, inconvenient, or messy at times.

It may even stretch us out of our comfort zones or require steps of faith.

Time and resources are precious, but as we learn to view them as gifts from God, sharing them with our neighbors becomes even more and more joyful.  

Look around you this week.

What is one act of service you can do that you feel is beneath your status or position?

How can you otherwise humble yourself like Christ – to love and serve others in your home, church, workplace, your neighborhood, and in your community?

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

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, I am not worthy to be washed clean by you. Yet, as my King, you took the role of humble servant when you took my place on the cross. Teach me your love for others. Lead me to serve humbly. On this particular day that we call “Maundy Thursday,” teach me your mandate to love one another as you love me. It doesn’t always come naturally to me. Lord, you know that person I struggle to love today and those areas of service I tend to avoid. You know how stingy I can be with my time, money, and things. Help me to notice and listen to people this week and respond with Christ-like love and generosity. Make me aware of the needs in my church and community and stir my heart to act. With the love you have shown me, teach me to love others with a servant’s heart like yours. In humble servant Jesus’ Name, Amen

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!

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

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