Tag: God

The One Invitation of All Invitations: ‘O Come On, My Soul, Let’s Listen to God, Come, Let Us Rest in God Alone. Psalm 62

Psalm 62 New King James Version

A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62 Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my [a]defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.[b]

3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my [c]expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be [d]moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 Surely men of low degree are [e]a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You [f]render to each one according to his work.

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.

Matthew 11:28 New King James Version

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Whenever you receive invitations, you probably find yourself asking the same sorts of questions: Who is it from? Who is it for? Why does it matter?

This verse presents one of the loveliest invitations in the whole of the New Testament—but to understand it best, we must ask those same questions.

First, this is a personal invitation.

It is not an invitation to a program, nor is it an invitation to a religion or to a philosophy to be included alongside Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, New Age-ism, humanism, or any other “ism” found among today’s worldviews.

It is an invitation from Jesus Himself – He is bidding each of us, “Come to me.”

The significance of the invitation lies in who is issuing it.

In the Gospels, Jesus declares who He is: the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Son of God (see John 4:25-26; 1 John 4:14).

By virtue of this identity, Jesus should anticipate, should expect, even could command an instant response—but instead, here – He extends an invitation.

And who does He invite to come? “All who labor and are heavy laden.”

This invitation is all-inclusive.

It doesn’t single out a certain group among a larger group based on arbitrary standards invented by academia and culture, but it describes all of humanity.

Each of us absolutely need to hear these words over again, because there’s not one person who isn’t figuratively pushing around a wheelbarrow filled with all the cares, responsibilities, fears, and failures that surely make up his or her life.

Why does all this matter? Jesus invites us to find “rest for your souls.”

He’s speaking in eternal terms of a rest that never fails.

He’s beckoning us towards a banquet, He doesn’t even ask us to provide clothes.

We show up for the banquet just the way we are.

God takes all our “Here are my fears, doubts” and “Here are my good deeds” clothes so many of us like to dress up in, calls them rags, and tosses them aside.

He takes all the self deprecating self debasing “I’m so bad and messed up that there’s no hope” clothes and unceremoniously tosses all of them aside too.

In their place, He covers us over with “the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10), which is provided by Jesus Christ Himself.

When we find our doubts weighing us down like a millstone, we can rest from our striving to make something of ourselves or to earn heaven for ourselves when we come to Jesus, receive all we need, all we could ever need, from Him.

This is the invitation of all invitations that our doubts do not want any part of.

O’ Come On, My Soul, Let’s Listen, Let’s Rest In God!

Psalm 62 Easy-to-Read Version

To the director, Jeduthun.[a] A song of David.

62 I must calm down and turn to God;
    only he can rescue me.
2 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me.
    He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.

3 How long will you people attack me?
    Do you all want to kill me?
I am like a leaning wall,
    like a fence ready to fall.
4 You want only to destroy me,
    to bring me down from my important position.
It makes you happy to tell lies about me.
    In public, you say nice things,
    but in private, you curse me. Selah

5 I must calm down and turn to God;
    he is my only hope.
6 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me.
    He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.
7 My victory and honor come from God.
    He is the mighty Rock, where I am safe.
8 People, always put your trust in God!
    Tell him all your problems.
    God is our place of safety. Selah

9 People cannot really help.
    You cannot depend on them.
Compared to God, they are nothing—
    no more than a gentle puff of air!
10 Don’t trust in your power to take things by force.
    Don’t think you will gain anything by stealing.
And if you become wealthy,
    don’t put your trust in riches.
11 God says there is one thing you can really depend on, and I believe it:
    “Strength comes from God!”

12 My Lord, your love is real.
    You reward all people for what they do.

Psalm 62 is a window into David’s heart and reminds us to trust in God alone.

Like many of the psalms he wrote, David starts with praise and God’s Truth before he navigates into his struggles and emotions.

Even in 2024, it is an intelligent strategy that is abundantly helpful to all of us.

Spending time daily in God’s Word helps us view life through His perspective. 

The psalmist states that because God is his rock, salvation, and stronghold, he won’t be shaken (verses 1-2).

As the Psalmist reflects further upon trouble, his doubts and the enemy, David prays, counsels his own heart to entrust all fear and frustration into God’s care.

As if to go heart to heart with his innermost self to plead, “O’ Come on, my soul, let’s listen to what God says about this,” he remembers what he has learned:

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. Selah Psalm 62:5-8

The Psalms remind us that God created us with feelings and emotions that help us respond to life’s experiences.

They are beautiful because God created them.

Doubts cause us to question who, what and why standing in front of us.

Sadness helps us respond to grief.

Fear helps us flee danger.

Anger helps us respond to injustice.

Best of all, love leads us to express care and affection.

However, the fall of man has tainted emotions like these with sin, and we often automatically default to our human nature, which can absolutely keep us from experiencing the purity and peace we can have in our Lord and Savior Christ.

Here, we get stuck in feelings like fearfulness, hopelessness, and unforgiveness instead of freedom.

Feelings can begin to define, box us in rather than help us process and emote.

Yet, praise the Lord because of the finished work of Jesus at Calvary; we can live free rather than stuck or enslaved to sin. (John 19:28-30)  

As we read throughout the Psalms, over a lifetime David learned God’s Truth.

Amid the struggle, he listens to God’s Truth.

Beautifully, he then leads others to rely on God’s Truth.

As it says in Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge. Selah”  

Learn!

Listen!

Invite!

Lead others!

By the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the beautiful pattern of writing God’s Word on our hearts, weaving His wisdom into our souls, so that we have it to anchor and encourage ourselves and can then share the good news with others. 

Life absolutely, abundantly challenges us for the rest of our days here on earth.

It’s okay to feel, but by the transformative power of the Word of God, but as a child of God, we don’t have to live stuck in a downward spiral or a stagnant pit.

Whether we have a friend nearby to sit with us as we process our emotions or whether you sit alone today, cling to what God says about your circumstances.

Think about the words you might tell a friend going through the same thing.

We are too hard on ourselves, and perhaps today, you need to give yourself the grace and pep talk anchored in God’s Truth that you would give a friend today.

“O’ Come on, my soul, let’s listen to God! O’ Come, Let Us Rest in God Alone!”

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee—
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.[1]

1 Charlotte Elliot, “Just As I Am, Without One Plea” (1835).

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 100 Easy-to-Read Version

A song of thanks.

100 Earth, sing to the Lord!
2 Be happy as you serve the Lord!
    Come before him with happy songs!
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    He made us, and we belong to him.
    We are his people, the sheep he takes care of.
4 Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him.
    Enter his courtyards with songs of praise.
    Honor him and bless his name.
5 The Lord is good!
    There is no end to his faithful love.
    We can trust him forever and ever!

Father God, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, who counsels me and ministers to my heart and my soul daily. Friends are a gift and a blessing, but none can fill the perfect friendship of Your Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ. Help my soul to always listen to your Truth. Settle my soul, Help me speak kind words and thoughts to myself that are gentle, encouraging—just as I would walk with, talk to, a friend in need today. 

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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Togetherness in Christ: ‘Deliverance When We Doubt’ — Isaiah 43:18-19

Isaiah 43:16-21 New Living Translation

16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
    making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
    with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
    their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
    the jackals and owls, too,
    for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
    so my chosen people can be refreshed.
21 I have made Israel for myself,
    and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

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.

I don’t know where we find ourselves emotionally today.

But I do know that, being human, we are finding ourselves locked into some emotional state that we cannot seem to shake as easily as we would like to do.

Life seems to guarantee that we will face significant times when we feel alone, abandoned, under attack, forgotten, targeted, under siege, and overwhelmed.

In such difficult times, I like to remind myself of three biblical truths:

Jesus felt abandoned on the cross (Matthew 27:46) even though He knew God would never abandon Him (John 16:32). 

We need to acknowledge that our feelings are real and sometimes raw, even too raw, but they are not always correct.

Jesus’ “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” expressed how He felt.

But reading the rest of Psalm 22 it goes on to describe the horrors of the cross that the Lord knew were coming on Him, yet finishes with the truth of what God was going to accomplish through His death on the cross and His resurrection.

We do not have to believe our feelings and doubts.

We can express them to God and remind ourselves of God’s promises.

When we have difficulty believing, we can cry out like the father who desperately wanted to believe that Jesus could heal His son and said,

“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

We can look back on God’s history of work with His people and see how God repeatedly delivered His people through harsh times — Israel from Egypt through the plagues and the Red Sea are but one of many examples.

Even John the Baptizer’s ministry that led to the coming of Jesus seems to be foreshadowed in today’s passage. (Mark 1:1-8)

And, as Mark’s narrative reminds us as God’s people in His Gospel word, despite all the worst, there is room for our publicly declaring over the very worst of personal doubts; “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 

We have the God Who is “about to do something new” to deliver His people!

Isaiah 43:18-19 New Living Translation

18 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

We have the promise of God’s permanent presence in us and with us made clear by Jesus (John 14:15-17) the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:5-6), from Apostle Paul. (Romans 8:32-39)

Those promises are forever sealed by Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us to deliver us from sin, death, and hell.

John 19:28-30 New Living Translation

The Death of Jesus

28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”[a] 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

And, as Paul reminds us, that if God would allow the gift of His Son to save us, will not He also give us all the things we need to get us home to Him, as well? (Romans 8:31-34)

Romans 8:31-34 New Living Translation

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Dear brother or sister in Jesus, don’t let the devil’s deceiving words, personal doubts, or the voices of cynics, skeptics, and haters rob you of your confidence.

Your Father in heaven is the God of new things – after all, He Created them all!

John 1:1-5 New Living Translation

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a]
    and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.[b]

When the doubts assail, take heart my friends, take refuge in the heart of God.

Nothing in this life is so stuck the Lord will not provide us a new way forward!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Father, I do believe, but help my unbelief. I want to trust in Your deliverance in my current circumstances as I read about those great acts of salvation. You performed to deliver Your people in the past. I need the Holy Spirit to help me sense Your presence and infuse me with the power to endure as I place my faith in You, not listen to my doubts, circumstances, and enemies. I pray all this in the authoritative name of Jesus.

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When God Is Doing Something New, and We’re Still Stuck in the Old Stuff. Isaiah 43:18-19

Isaiah 43:16-21 The Message

16-21 This is what God says,
    the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
    who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
    they lie down and then can’t get up;
    they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
    rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
    —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
    rivers through the sunbaked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
    the people I made especially for myself,
    a people custom-made to praise me.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

Sometimes… truthfully, more often than we I believe actually realize, God is wanting to do, reveal, something “new” and yet we’re still stuck in the “old.”

It’s hard at times.

To let go.

It is not so hard at times … refuse to give up any control over what we value, even if what we have valued so highly has pretty much all of lost its shelf life.

Of what’s familiar, and what we know, of what has always worked best for us.

It seems easier to stay “comfortable,” to stay in control, or give the illusion of staying in control, to just keep going with the flow, so not to mess anything up.

But then “new” happens, and it often sends us spiraling, on one big, long loop.

For those adrenaline junkies who 100% love change – “new” is mostly exciting.

For those who don’t like change and 100% resist it- “new” is mostly stressful.

Your home, your family, or workplace if you’re like most, or anyone who thinks and believes far more differently than you is probably a mix of those two traits.

But here’s what I love about God.

Isaiah 55:8-11 The Message

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

He always thinks and always works far outside our own finite box of thinking.

He doesn’t always work in the ways that we would have chosen for our “new.”

If we had to have a “new.”

He always sees the big picture.

He always knows what He’s doing.

He always works behind the scenes of life that unfold our every day, in the unexpected places where we can’t always see or understand all the “why’s.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-13The Message

6-10 We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn’t have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That’s why we have this Scripture text:

No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.

But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

10-13 The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

So we can trust…that He has our best in mind.

That He’s got our back.

He’s with us right now.

And He’s secured our future too.

Sometimes our “new” comes out of great blessing, new opportunities.

And sometimes it comes through great pain, huge loss.

People move, life happens, decisions are made, many change jobs, kids grow up, and there are times we might go through some really tough struggles.

We may even start to feel cheated.

Like life is unfair.

But it still breathes this truth: God is not finished with our lives yet.

We are still here.

And on a never ending basis, He has great purpose in all that we walk through, even in every life change and season.

Whether we recognize it or not, we’re rubbing shoulders everyday with people that we needed to meet in our “new,” however hard that new thing might be.

We can rest in His care for us.

He knows.

He sees.

He works in ways we do not always “get,” but there’s a special place of peace in our knowing, in our acknowledgment that we don’t have to try to control it all.

By these ancient yet still relevant words from Isaiah 43:18-19 God says we can let go – of the need to figure it all out, and the striving to make things happen.

We can trust Him.

Our future awaits, and there’s still good around the bend. God has more in store.

Intersecting Faith and Life – The Joy of Forgetting

Isaiah 43:18-19 Easy-to-Read Version

18 So don’t remember what happened in earlier times. Don’t think about what happened a long time ago, 19 because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land.

Do you like new stuff?

Many of us do.

Part of the excitement for kids as they open presents at Christmas or on their birthday is that they’re getting something new and hopefully more exciting.

Older family members may get excited about new clothing, a new vehicle, or new tools for the workshop, even the fresh smell of new carpet in their home.

Yes, we like new things.

But, and it bears to be repeated that it’s also possible to get stuck in the past.

Some of us may have a nostalgic hope that we can recover the “good old days,” and others of us may be locked face to face with a past we simply can’t ­escape.

Maybe we feel stuck by the circumstances of a broken home, made bad financial choices, stuck on sins we now regret, or of an injustice that has been done to us.

Though Christians do not and should not ­ever ignore the hardcore lessons of their past, Isaiah 43:18-19, faith in Christ always challenges us to look forward.

Our goal is not and should not be exclusively “change for the sake of change,” as if instantly new things by themselves could give us 1% hope and fulfillment.

But these ancient yet always relevant words from Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us of the only One who brings lasting change: “I am doing a new thing!” God says.

Take a photograph of the old stuff and frame it because we can each find joy in forgetting our past only when our future rests on the change Christ works in us.

Philippians 3:13-14 The Message

Focused on the Goal

12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

The years are gone, finished, past.

We cannot reclaim them nor can we undo them.

We cannot, should not rest on the great distance those years have brought us.

If and when tomorrow dawns, and we exercise our lungs to breathe, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord.

It is God’s gift of a new day Let’s journey forward, knowing our God already inhabits the future, promises to provide us refreshment on our journey there.

Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we can experience the joy of forgetting our sinful past (Philippians 3:13-14) pressing on as new people in Jesus Christ.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

God of all Creation, God of new beginnings, thank you for a fresh start in Christ. Help us to leave behind our sin and to live joyfully for him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

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Cherishing God’s Word: Where’s the Art of Lifelong Learning Nowadays? Proverbs 7:1-3

Proverbs 7:1-5 Easy-to-Read Version

Wisdom Will Keep You From Adultery

7 My son, remember my words. Don’t forget what I have told you. 2 Consider my teaching as precious as your own eyes. Obey my commands, and you will have a good life. 3 Tie them around your finger. Write them on your heart. 4 Treat wisdom like the woman you love and knowledge like the one dearest to you. 5 Wisdom will save you from that other woman, the other man’s wife, who tempts you with such sweet words.

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.

I find it a dangerous thing to go grocery shopping when I’m hungry.

I find myself tempted to buy food that under normal circumstances would not appeal to me at all.

Reading my Bible, I am not alone, according to King Solomon: “One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet” (Proverbs 27:7).

This same principle can be applied to our pursuit of wisdom’s purity.

There is a real danger in going through our days spiritually hungry because we have not fed well upon the word of God.

If we are going to make any meaningful attempt at maintaining our purity, it is imperative that we not only read God’s word; we must also cherish it.

Solomon—the king of Israel to whom God gave wisdom that surpassed anyone else’s (1 Kings 3:3-14)—here uses language that gets directly at the notion of cherishing God’s word when he tells his son to;

“keep” his words, to “treasure” them, to keep them “as the apple of [his] eye,” to “bind” them, and to “write” them on his heart.

For us to relate to God’s word this way requires us to get beyond using the Bible merely as a textbook to study, a book of proof texts for arguments, or a promise book to which we will occasionally turn to on a Sunday morning when preached.

Our Cherishing God’s word requires us to seek the perspective of the psalmist who, far distancing himself from the proud and the scoffers of his day, says of the man who is walking with God, “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

There is a direct correlation between our delighting in God’s word—allowing it to lead, to control and ergo, guide our lives—and maintaining a zeal for purity.

As our text clearly admonishes, If we fail to cherish Scripture, the question is not if we will stumble in the matter of purity but inevitably – when.

Every one of us can keep our way pure by hiding God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:9-16).

Psalm 119:9-16 The Message

9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
    By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
    I won’t forget a word of it.

Do we have a plan for memorizing Scripture?

Let me challenge you to make a commitment to memorize a verse of the Bible, whether it’s every other day, every day, every week, or whatever it might be.

Make a plan, and stick with it.

Feast on God’s word and be satisfied. Cherish the Scriptures and be pure.

(Re)Discovering The Lost (?) Art Of Lifelong Learning

Proverbs 19:8 The Message

8 Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor;
    keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.

I love to learn something new, exciting and different!

Every day, I try my best to take advantage of opportunities God brings me to learn something new.

Those opportunities take many forms: reading books, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts when I can find them, asking people questions, going to events, traveling when I can, even my praying about the meaning of my dreams.

It’s exciting for me to discover more about all sorts of topics that interest me.

In the process, God gives me glimpses of His miraculous creative works in the world, so I have a taste for discovering God’s wonder through lifelong learning. 

Proverbs 19:8 urges students and readers of all ages and all ideological bents to learn all they can and then remember what they learned so they can prosper.

We should embrace the pursuit of wisdom, since it not only enhances our spiritual growth but also edifies, equips us to navigate life’s challenges well.

Education – in all its forms – empowers us with the tools to make informed decisions, understand the world around us, deepen our relationship with God.

God calls us to be lifelong learners, continuously seeking to grow in wisdom.

Proverbs 18:15 NIV advises: “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Our ultimate teacher is the One who knows everything, as well as the source of everything there is to learn about: being God and His Son Jesus Christ Himself.

In Proverbs 1:7, we read “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The Bible tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” in both Proverbs 9:10 NIV and Psalm 111:10 NIV.

Proverbs 9:10 New International Version

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Psalm 111:10 New International Version

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.

In Matthew 11:28-30 NIV, 

Jesus urges us to learn from him and promises that the process of learning as we enjoy relationships with him will be easy and refreshing:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

God wants us to cultivate a hunger for learning.

Psalm 34:8-10 New International Version

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

We can “taste and see” by our taking advantage of the many opportunities God gives us to acquire more knowledge and wisdom. Here are some ways to do so: 

-Engage in regular Bible study to gain spiritual insights.

-Pray regularly for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind.

-Read books and articles on topics that interest you.

-Listen to podcasts when we can find them and listen to audiobooks on our phones or satellite radios while we’re shopping or doing household chores.

-Watch educational videos, such as documentaries.

-when we can afford to we can travel, attend conferences and workshops to learn from experts and network with other learners.

-In times of fellowship, discuss the news and other topics with people you know, asking them what they think and learning from their perspectives.

-Travel to experience new cultures and ways of life.

-Reflect on your dreams and ask the Holy Spirit to help you learn from them. 

The keys to lifelong learning are for us to be more open to new experiences and more resolved and willing to put in the effort to discipline ourselves, to truly learn and apply what we learn to our lives with holy discernment and wisdom.

Our disciplined pursuit of knowledge should align with biblical principles and contribute positively to our spiritual growth.

Through lifelong learning, we open ourselves to the thriving lives God intends us to live.

So, resolve to get excited about learning more every day God gives us to live! 

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

Let us Pray,

Dear God, we acknowledge that you are the source of all wisdom, and we humbly seek your guidance as we commit ourselves to lifelong learning. Please give us a hunger for your Word so we can diligently study and meditate on your teachings in the Bible. Help us to immerse ourselves in the Bible and find treasures of wisdom that will transform our minds and hearts. May Your Holy Spirit constantly be our teacher, guiding us and leading us into all truth and revealing the mysteries of your kingdom.

Grant us discernment to distinguish between knowledge aligning with your will and that knowledge which leads astray. Father, we ask for a humble and teachable spirit, recognizing there is always more to learn and ways to grow. Open our minds to new perspectives, experiences, and knowledge from diverse various sources, while always keeping your truth as our foundation. Help us to apply the knowledge we gain in practical ways, living out your principles in our daily lives, interactions with others.

Creator of all life, Author of all wisdom, Master Educator, Enable us to be a blessing to those around us, using our knowledge for your good purposes. Thank you for the gift of life and lifelong learning and the opportunity to grow wiser throughout our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, whose our Savior and Teacher. Amen.

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Into the Word of God: More Truth Than We Can Ever Dare To Imagine. John 21:25

John 21:25 The Message

25 There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

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.

It’s called hyperbole.

That’s the literary device John uses here to express his thoughts about the astonishing signs and wonders of Jesus.

In these closing words from his Gospel narrative, John is using wonder and imagination to say that the sum total of Jesus’ life and teachings and all the amazing things he did were so great the world could barely contain them all.

Hyperbole is a literary tool that helps us express the inexpressible, to say, to try and communicate, express, the depths of what one’s words cannot fully say.

John’s words clue us in to the fact that no human agent can fully capture the divine.

The sum total of who Jesus is and the sum of what he has done cannot ever be adequately transcribed by human hands and truly grasped by human minds.

The sum total of Jesus is infinitely more than what can be expressed in words.

“Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise,” says one of the great church’s hymns – yet even that many is so very woefully insufficient.

Sometimes we may think we have Jesus completely figured out. But that’s impossible. Jesus is always more than what we can wrap our minds around.

Thankfully, Jesus wants to be known, and he reveals himself to us.

He reveals to all that He is God, that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In receiving his love and forgiveness, Jesus becomes our brother, friend, and Savior – In the words of another church song, “Jesus is all the world to me”!

And even singing that great hymn a million times comes up indescribably short of what my Lord, Savior, Jesus Christ has truly come to mean to me personally!

I Believe There Is Always More Truth To Be Learned!

John 21:25 Amplified Bible

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were recorded [a]one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

In these words closing out this Gospel narrative, we uncover a profound truth about our Lord and Savior – a truth that calls us to pursue lifelong learning.

There is always more to learn about Jesus!

“I do not know it all!”

“I cannot know it all!”

“I will never know it all!”

“But, that does not stop my desire from trying to learn more of my Jesus!” 

The Gospel of John features many inspirational revelations about Jesus.

However, the closing verse should intrigue us, reminds us that the recorded accounts are only a glimpse into what Jesus did during his earthly life – not even considering the far innumerable things that Jesus has done in heaven!

This verse is an intriguing invitation for us to embark on a journey of discovery, to dive deeper into the depths, mysteries of God, to be inspired with wonder. 

Why is this pursuit of lifelong learning and wonder so important?

It’s because our faith is not stagnant; it’s a living, breathing relationship with a God whose depth surpasses our understanding – every verse, every story, every revelation is another opportunity to encounter profound truths about Jesus. 

Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 English Standard Version

Fear God and Keep His Commandments

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

By actively engaging with the Bible, by actively disciplining ourselves to read God’s Word, we open our hearts to the transformative power of God’s Word.

Luke 24:28-35 New King James Version

The Disciples’ Eyes Opened

28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He [a] indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was [b]known to them in the breaking of bread.

Just as the disciples experienced Jesus in countless ways during their time with him, we too can encounter him in fresh ways through the pages of the Bible.

There’s always something more to learn, a new facet of God’s character to uncover, and a deeper, infinitely richer understanding of his will for our lives.

As we read and study God’s Word, let’s approach it with a sense of wonder and anticipation – may we be like children, eager to discover the hidden treasures within each passage, knowing that the more we seek, the more we will find. 

God promises us in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

When we wholeheartedly seek God, we all should always be about the Father’s business of listening to Jesus, always learning something wonderful about him.

Luke 2:43-50 New King James Version

43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And [a]Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

In a world that often emphasizes instant gratification and quick truths, the pursuit of lifelong learning and wonder seems like a countercultural virtue.

Pray, it encourages each of us to approach our faith journey with a curiosity that spans a lifetime, acknowledging that we’re always students inside God’s school.

It’s an invitation to a transformative journey of the heart.

The more we read, study, learn, and the more our discoveries inspire us with truest awe, the more we can fall in love with the God who loves us completely. 

Pursuing learning and wonder every day God gives us to live is an important way to gain wisdom – but even more than that, it’s a soul-stirring adventure, soul stirring time of the deepest of discoveries that draws us into God’s heart.

Psalm 119:9-16 New King James Version

ב BETH

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And [a]contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

The acknowledgment in John 21:25 that the world could not contain the books if every knowable deed of Jesus were recorded, should righteously humble us.

It reminds us of the limitations of language and severe limitations of human expression when attempting to even minimally encapsulate God’s majesty.

It calls us to approach Jesus with reverent awe, recognizing that our own finite minds can only finitely grasp a fraction of his infinite glory as the Son of God. 

By embracing the endless wonder of our knowing Jesus, we position ourselves for spiritual growth – our lifelong learning becomes a rhythm of discipleship.

The more we learn, the more we love.

The more we love, the more we are transformed into his likeness and the more we grow in holiness. 

Romans 12:1-2 The Message

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

So, let’s dare ourselves to take our lives on a sacred pilgrimage into God’s heart.

Let’s dare ourselves to look forward to what Jesus will teach us day by day, and further dare ourselves to allow those discoveries to spark wonder in our souls.

The more we dare ourselves to seek, the more God will reveal, and we will find, and the more we find, the closer our relationships with our Savior can become. 

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

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, as I read these passages of scripture, show me Your truth, what you want me to learn. Pinpoint the things in my thinking and my life that aren’t right. Help me to remember that Your word is life and always true, whereas my ideas are too often fleeting. Use the truth of Your Word to transform my limited thinking and behavior. Let Your truth, your wisdom, inform my faith, let my faith guide my actions. Amen.

O God, your love is much greater than we can imagine. Thank you for your salvation, revealed, offered to us in Christ Jesus. May our hearts and lives overflow with thanks.

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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First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost, For literally Everything, There is God! Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 GOD’S WORD Translation

Everything in God’s Own Time

3 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and
a time to die,
a time to plant and
a time to pull out what was planted,
3 a time to kill and
a time to heal,
a time to tear down and
a time to build up,
4 a time to cry and
a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and
a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and
a time to gather them,
a time to hug and
a time to stop hugging,
6 a time to start looking and
a time to stop looking,
a time to keep and
a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear apart and
a time to sew together,
a time to keep quiet and
a time to speak out,
8 a time to love and
a time to hate,
a time for war and
a time for peace.

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 this new year of 2024 begins to unfold before us, it’s vital we take time to both reflect on what God has done, allow him to prepare us for what’s to come.

A new year marks a fresh opportunity to center life around the goodness of God.

I pray that as we all begin looking toward what is to come we will allow God to unfold before us will, make space to gain God’s perspective, ground your hopes and pursuits on his grace, and celebrate all God has done and is, will be doing.

Begin to renew your mindsets from 2023 to 2024, May your time with God this week and beyond will be filled with the loving presence of your heavenly Father.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 GOD’S WORD Translation

Everything in God’s Own Time

3 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:

The seasons of the year which have just passed by were created by the powerful hands of our heavenly Father speak of the need to slow down, stop, and reflect.

With the Word of God for His Children in hand, times of reflection create space for God’s Spirit to speak, helping us remember what he has done, making us aware of what he is doing, and stirring our hearts for what he wants to do next.

God is the Author of Creation, God is the Author of all life, God loves to use a change in season to remind us to center our lives around his pervasive works.

Whether it be a change in jobs, weather, moving, our health, our wealth, or the day to day unfolding of a new year 2024, it’s crucial that we make space for God to live in us, ro speak to us, prepare us for the wonderful things He has planned.

Quite Literally, Everything Begins and Ends With God.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 The Message

There’s a Right Time for Everything

3 There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

2-8 A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

The best place to begin reflection is in remembering.

I don’t know whether this past year was one filled with heartache or laughter for you, I do not know whether you experienced loss or brand new beginnings.

I don’t know whether in the year 2024 you will cry more tears of joy or sadness.

But please take heart right now that the #1 truth is your heavenly Father does.

And whether 2024 becomes a year to remember or to forget. recall it’s in quiet remembrance He wants to comfort you, rejoice with you, wrap you in His arms.

It’s in sacred and most holy remembrance that He wants to bring about healing, He wants to impart His grace, love, perspective – take time today to remember.

Next, resolve to take time to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation on the present.

Just as our seasons help us to remember the past, they beg us not to stay there, they beg of us to ask of God for the grace of God to move up, live in the present.

The indelible truth is God is doing a mighty work in and around you right now.

This is a time for faith and deep encounters with the transforming love of God.

This is a time to savor the beauty of the current and to rest in the goodness of the immediate.

Creator God is always going to be present to meet with you, love you, fill you.

He has more than sufficient strength, grace, comfort, and joy for you if we will renew our mindset, make space to receive the fullness of what He wants to give.

Resolve then, in the name of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, to take time today to savor.

Lastly, God longs to fill you with hope and expectancy for his future plans.

The new year of 2024, filled with its infinite possibilities and also infinite new beginnings, is moment by moment, quickly unfolding right before your eyes.

Your heavenly Father, Author of your very life, who weaved you together in your mother, who dwells in all of eternity, longs to prepare us all for what is to come.

Moment by precious moment, He longs to lay a foundation for our days our year with a fresh anointing, fresh revelation of His love, faithfulness, and presence.

He longs to fill you with hope and desires that he will see through to fruition.

Resolved: Take time today to allow Him to prepare you for all next year holds.

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

May your time in guided prayer be marked by clarity and revelation in the Holy Spirit as you engage in these three practices.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on this past year. 

What were your triumphs? What were your failures? How did God meet you in both? Allow Him to comfort you in any pain and rejoice with you in any victory.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

2. What is God doing right now? 

What is He teaching and instilling in you? What is He calling you to savor?

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:31-34

3. Ask God to plant hopes and dreams for next year in your heart. 

What do you want to see happen personally next year? What do you hope God does in and the now through you? What good works has He prepared for you?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

May Galatians 6:7-10 stir within us a covenant commitment to fully engage in the season in which God has you and me:

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. 

Psalm 100 The Message

100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

5 For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

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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First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost: The King of All Creation. Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1-2 New King James Version

The History of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

In the Beginning When Everything Was New …

Today marks the beginning of a new year – 2024.

The turn of the year is a time for new things: hopes, dreams, and resolutions about how we’ll live differently now that we’ve turned the page on the calendar.

Once upon a time, the whole world was new.

Out of nothing, God created the heavens and the earth.

In the first two verses of Genesis the Bible describes the process of creation: God spoke, the world came into being.

And what God made was good.

It shone with delightful diversity, reflecting the richness of God’s character.

We do not always see the goodness and brilliance of God’s creation because sin, brokenness obscures our vision and brings decay to what was once brand-new.

Our awareness, our treasured delights in the newness of God’s work wears off.

Resolved: we each need our attention called back to the character of the Creator.

These opening words of Genesis tells us that God can bring goodness out of chaos, and in this way God assures us that the world is firmly in His control.

In the coming new year, these opening words of Scripture will fade to the back of our minds, we will face times when the newness of our January goals wears off, when the brokenness of our lives keeps us from receiving each day as a gift.

When that happens, let’s be resolved to remember that God made all things good, let’s trust that He has the power to make all things new and good again.

First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost: King of Creation

Genesis 1:1-2 Amplified Bible

The Creation

1 In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) [b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was [c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

There was never a time when God did not exist.

Before there was time, before there was anything, there was God.

And since His nature is unchanging, so He has also always existed in the Trinity—God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

When reading the Bible, we discover that each member of the Holy Trinity was indelibly involved in creation: God the Father took the initiative, God the Spirit is described as “hovering over” the proceedings, and God the Son was the agent of creation in all that was made (Genesis 1:2-3; John 1:3).

The eloquent hymn “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small”[1] should leave us in awe; they were all fashioned by God’s command.

1 Cecil F. Alexander, “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (1848).

And He is not only the Creator of all; He is also the Lord of all He has created.

All of nature is in His hands, under His control.

As we see waves crashing against the shoreline, it’s wonderfully encouraging to know each and every one of them is there as a result of God’s sovereign rule.

God entered in and He has not stepped away from His creation, nor will He ever.

It’s so indelibly important for us all to remember that God is also transcendent.

He is on His throne, above, beyond, and distinct from all that He has made.

This is what distinguishes Christianity from pantheism, the idea the natural world is a manifestation of God, therefore everything is somehow a part of Him.

With this belief, we dare not kill a fly or step on an ant because those insects are divine.

Similarly, we should not chop down a tree or eat meat, because these too are “parts of God.”

Teachings like these are mistaken and misguided and tend to lead to idolatry.

Scripture makes it so abundantly clear that time and time again that people will first choose to worship “the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

Romans 1:24-25 The Message

24-25 So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!

When we see a great painting, we rightly admire and enjoy the painting, and then we praise the painter. All of creation is God’s canvas, and all of it speaks of “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature” (v 20).

Romans 1:20-23 The Message

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

Only God is to be worshiped, for creation exists by His power and for His glory.

His existence, Kingship, knows no beginning or end, and He will reign forever.

He is the King of all Creation.

Be it resolved today to praise, honor, worship, exalt Him as He alone deserves.

Go for an extended walk, go for an extended drive, look out of the window open our hearts wide, praise Him as we see His beauty displayed in ALL He has made.

First, foremost, utmost and uppermost, Praise Him, Thank Him as He ALONE continues to rule over His creation, holding you and me in His sovereign hand.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 150 New King James Version

Let All Things Praise the Lord

150 Praise[a] the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty [b]firmament!

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

3 Praise Him with the sound of the [c]trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

[d]Praise the Lord!

Thank you, Creator God, for your good creation. Open our eyes to see the brilliance and beauty of everything you have made, and to rest securely in the knowledge of your sovereign care for the world you created. In your great name we pray. Amen.

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

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The Always Unresolved Resolution, A Task That Is Always Left Unfinished. Can God Get Even One Witness Today. Luke 24:44-49

Luke 24:44-49 New King James Version

The Scriptures Opened

44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [a]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [b]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

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.

Resolution: “I Will Finally Pray God Opens My Eyes”

After rising from the dead, Jesus met several times with his followers.

On the road to Emmaus, while he walked along with two of them, they didn’t know who he was while he taught all about himself from the Scriptures.

Only later, when he broke bread with them, were their eyes finally opened to see Him as the Messiah, God’s truly Anointed One, the Savior (Luke 24:13-35).

These two heavily enlightened followers ran back to the disciples in the Upper Room to testify to their miraculous experiences with the resurrected Jesus.

Then later that same day, in Jerusalem, resurrected Jesus met with a large group of his disciples – not bothering to knock on the heavily locked door.

And after he opened their eyes to see that He had risen in the flesh, Jesus then explained that all of the Scriptures—“the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms”—were fulfilled in him.

For us to see and understand Jesus in the Scriptures, for us to testify, to witness to the resurrection truths revealed in those days, we too need our eyes opened.

As the Psalmist writes …

Psalm 119:17-24 New King James Version

ג GIMEL

17 Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul [a]breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
22 Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
23 Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.

Although the ancient psalmist when he penned these words couldn’t see Jesus or know what we know about Jesus today, the psalmist certainly understood the need for all generations of followers eyes be opened to understand God’s Word.

One of the more traditional, and probably the one left the most unresolved of all resolutions followers of all maturity levels will make as they are all resolving to do at least one thing better entering the new year-to learn more of God’s Word.

Without first resolving to have our eyes opened, God’s Word can seem like a giant legalistic code to measure how others—and we—fail to live righteously.

With this first resolution first and foremost on our prayer list, taking time with Jesus, taking time to converse with Jesus, taking time to listen to Jesus, with our hearts fully exposed, two eyes become fully opened as on the Emmaus Road, we will see in God’s Word the living God who is graciously revealing himself to us.

Be it Resolved that we will learn more how to live the way God intends for us.

Be it Resolved …

We ultimately find the “wonderful things” of God’s grace and mercy—above all, in God’s gift of Jesus—and we live in gratitude for all he has done for us.

A Resolution, A Task That Is Always Left Unfinished.

Matthew 28:16-20 New King James Version

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.

“When they saw Him; they worshiped Him; but SOME DOUBTED. ”

By the words of the resurrected Jesus Himself, being the Great Commission, we are called to a task that we cannot accomplish alone: to be witnesses to Christ.

Following His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room, dispelling their fear and doubt by revealing the nail marks in His hands and His feet (Luke 24:39), reminding them of all that had been written concerning Him (v 44), and opening their minds to the truth of Scripture (v 45).

And before He returned to His heavenly throne He gave them one single task: to witness to the outside world what they had seen Him do and heard Him teach.

The truth about Him needed to be proclaimed “testified to all nations” (v 47).

Since that task is as yet unfinished, and will always remain unfinished, God’s people today are called to witness no less than God’s people of that day were.

Hebrews 12:1-2 New King James Version

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a] author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We may not be able to physically go out and testify with the apostle John, “That which … we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … we proclaim also to you” (1 John 1:1, 3) – but we are each still called to be among the great clouds of witnesses who laid aside every weight, ran the race of faith.

But from the first verse Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, we have God’s very spoken word, which we are called not only to believe but also to proclaim.

Be it resolved to finish what God has commissioned-yet we are so very limited!

We are steadfast and immovable, resolute and resolved, yet one minute we are faithfully believing; then the next minute our minds are filled with uncertainty.

It is never really our conscious intent to allow it to happen, inevitably Human frailty, somehow, somewhere, always and forever gets in the way of divinity.

We too soon lose our resolve often step back in fear rather than forward in faith.

Matthew 10:27-31 New King James Version

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [a]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [b]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

We find ourselves unable to overcome ourselves, not quite knowing what we are should be, saying about communicating the gospel message to those around us.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows this.

He knows His sheep—He knows our propensity for fear and timidity—and He assures us that we do not have to speak or act merely by our own power.

No, but we have each received what Jesus told those first disciples to wait for:

“the promise of the Father,” His Holy Spirit, so that we are “clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus gives us His Spirit in order that we might be involved in kingdom business—in order that we might each take the good news to the nations and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Matthew 10:32-33 New King James Version

Confess Christ Before Men

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Don’t give in to fear and timidity.

What we cannot accomplish alone we can do in the power He has given to us.

So, go out in complete dependence on the Spirit of God, prayerfully commit, to resolving, to be playing your part in the great, unfinished task of proclaiming, of exalting the name and glory of Jesus Christ to all the nations near and far:

Facing a task unfinished that drives us to our knees,
A need that, undiminished, rebukes our slothful ease,
We who rejoice to know Thee renew before Thy throne
The solemn pledge we owe Thee to go and make Thee known.[1]

1 Frank Houghton, “Facing a Task Unfinished” (1931).

Be it resolved …

– if you cannot connect with the world, then start with your own family, then move on to your neighbors, your friends – maybe start a home bible fellowship.

Be it resolved …

-into your church-with your Pastor, begin a small group bible fellowship there.

Be it resolved …

-make plans to expand your current small group bible fellowships, connect them with other churches in your area-exalt God, create bible communities.

Be it resolved …

-believe that with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, all things are always possible!

Be it resolved …

Can God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit get even ONE WITNESS to make their testimony?

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:33-40 New King James Version

ה HE

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 [a]Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37 Turn[b] away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in [c]Your way.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.

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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Seasons With God, My Days With My Savior Jesus, A Prayer of Surrender to Jesus’ Calling. Mark 8:34-38

Mark 8:34-38 New King James Version

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

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.

Preparing ourselves for the coming of the new year of 2024 …

As part of that preparation …

Have you ever prepared for and practiced the discipline of dieting?

Have you ever prepared for and practiced the discipline of fasting?

Have you ever prepared for and practiced the disciplines of self denial and of self sacrifice?

Have you ever prepared for and practiced the discipline of talking to God?

Although most followers of Christ agree that the discipline of prayer is a highly valuable practice, there’s some debate about the practicing discipline of fasting.

Fasting is the disciplined practice of refraining from normal activities to focus our full attention on God, the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Most commonly, fasting is about avoiding food for a certain period of time.

In today’s verses from Mark’s Narrative, Jesus tells his disciples that following Him will require His disciples to disciplined practice of self-denial and sacrifice.

We might be able to intellectually understand, agree with the call to self-denial.

We might be able to see the benefit of obeying Christ, even when it contradicts our better more worldly desires.

We might even sincerely pray we would have the self discipline, the strength to discipline ourselves to overcome our “not so glorious worldliness” to obey Him.

However, when that time and that season arrives, summoned by God, called our by Jesus, comes to lay aside our desires and obey God’s commands, we’ll falter.

If we would ever get around to telling ourselves the God’s honest truth, it is not easy to say no to our own desires, especially when we have the means to satisfy our whims – the discipline of fasting helps us practice saying no to ourselves.

We do not gain virtue points by saying no to wolfing out on our favorite foods or not eating gobs of chocolate during the season of Lent, but we do learn the habit of setting aside our desire to make room for praying for, pursuing of, God’s will.

Self-Discipline: Prayer of Surrender to Jesus’ Calling

Mark 8:34-38 The Message

34-37 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

38 “If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.”

Most days, my day to day life feels like a back-and-forth battle with control.

One day I’m easily relinquishing my own way in favor of God’s plan.

Other days I have to physically, spiritually, struggle to keep surrendering over and over because of my weakness, the pull of being in control is just too strong.

“Give up your own way…”

That phrase sounds ridiculously easy – some days even – embarrassingly easy.

Truth Be Told …

My Confession for today …

“Not so much … If at all …”

“Who am I trying to run a con game on today, who am I trying to scam?”

Those five simple words Master Rabbi Jesus spoke to the crowd are probably the very ones I wrestle with the most.

Even after my heart surgery, I get too attached to my own way of doing things.

Even so, too soon afterwards, self-sufficiency rises and I start making decisions in my own former strengths, I am trying way too hard, and wearing myself out.

I end up exhausted instead of welcoming the peace Jesus offers.

Surrender. 

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Surrender is a hardcore concept to grasp because God gave us the will to choose.

Surrender means to give up complete control.

To yield to the power of another.

Surrender is an amazing gift offered to us.

Wouldn’t when we are at our weakest physically and spiritually, not rather hand over control of our lives to our Creator who literally holds power over all things?

Then why, in our great strengths, do we struggle to surrender when Jesus calls?

God designed us to hope, dream, create, and build.

Do not we long to do great and little things and make an impact on our world.

Do we not desire to great and little things, make an impact in God’s Kingdom?

So whether from our strengths or weaknesses, we must discipline ourselves to pray and find our purpose using the gifts God gave us, while daily surrendering, while daily disciplining our lives and daily subjecting our whole hearts to Him.

Mark chapter 8 tells us about Jesus’ ministry—from feeding four thousand people to healing one blind man.

After a private word with his disciples, Jesus turned to a crowd and explained how to surrender. Jesus said,

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:35-36)

In our efforts to do good, let’s not forget the presence of our Holy God.

Jesus is calling us to release control and follow His ways instead of our own.

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

Let us Pray,

Dear Heavenly Father,

I hear your precious son Jesus gently calling me, yet I realize I’ve let the temptation of control keep me from responding to his voice. Forgive me for trying to do things on my own when I know your ways are best. I resolve to surrender to Savior Jesus today.

Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to draw me back to you in those times when I’ve relied on my own strength. Your Word in John 14:26 says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Thank you for reminding me that if I want to follow Jesus, I need to release my own way resolve to surrender to my Savior.

I have felt the weaknesses in my own body mind, spirit, I have felt your Holy Spirit tugging at my heart. So I am laying down my own plans, desires, and goals. I replace those right now with total surrender to your will. I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus never stops pursuing a deeper relationship with me.

Your will be done in my life, Lord. I will follow where you lead me. In Jesus’ name,

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

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Reflecting On the Teachings of God: Learning the Value of One Single Day. Psalm 90

Psalm 90 New King James Version

BOOK FOUR

Psalms 90–106

The Eternity of God, and Man’s Frailty

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

90 Lord, You have been our [a]dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You [b]had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
5 You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

7 For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
8 You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
10 The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
16 Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

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 the present year of 2023 draws to a close we are reminded once again of the relentless unstoppable procession of time.

Whether we like it or not, we are being carried onward through the years of our life, until inevitably, in one moment, in one day we’ll finally reach the end of it.

As the years come and and as the days and years go, there comes a day when our time in this world will be no more – our moments, our days, our years, will have passed away for ever into eternity depths, we will never ever see them again. 

So what should we do? 

Psalm 90:12 Moses prays to God reflecting on his long life (120 years) “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Moses had quite the life – born into slavery, set afloat on a river by his mother to protect his life, raised into the royal house of Egypt to the highest places of riches and prestige and military leadership – being groomed to be a Pharaoh.

Then one day, what does not collapse around him?

Realizes his birth origins, returns to his slave family, afflicted by the severity of a life of slavery, kills an Egyptian, runs away a fugitive under a death warrant.

With minimal provisions, he walks, trudges across the sun baked wilderness to a place of refuge called Median where he finds his rest, where he settles down, where he gets married, has children, gets a long term secure job, makes a home for himself and his family – no longer having to think about a murder charge.

Then God shows up – a burning bush – and a mission: “set my people free!”

The mission of all missions – back to Egypt, face the dangers, the Ten plagues.

Servant of God – into the crucible – eighty years old and he must now lead all of those former slaves – all five plus million of them – into the wilderness and to the mountain of God and His laws – but first comes the part where he must lead he must protect, all those five plus million people through the parted Red Sea.

Then he must repeatedly climb up and down mountain peaks, receive the Law of God, deal with all of the impossible messes a golden calf can give raise to.

Intercede with God – to keep God from wreaking His unimaginable wrath on the nation of former slaves-for their impossible measures, degrees of disobedience.

I could go on and on and on – as Moses led this nation an additional 40 years in the wilderness – until standing on the brink, in full view of the promised land, God deliver’s to him the worst possible news for all of his years of leadership:

“Sorry, Moses, you can see the promised land, but you will not enter the land!”

The sum total of all that effort over a life span of 120 years of devout service?

A wonderfully reflective poem – reflecting on God work and our brevity of life.

Reflecting, Numbering Our Days: The Value of Today

Life is filled with opportunities, but the big question is what we do with them.

Do we let them so casually slip by, saying, “Maybe next time. There is always another day”? Expecting to live as long as Moses did-or, should we seize them?

We may not have as much time as we think.

Late English Theologian Dr. Leslie Weatherhead, calculated the average length of a life using the hours of one day to illustrate the importance of recognizing the brevity and value of time.

He concluded that if your age is 15, the time is 10:25 a.m. If your age is 20, the time is 11:34. If your age is 25, the time is 12:42 p.m. If you’re 30, the time is 1:51. If you’re 35, the time is 3:00. If you’re 40 the time is 4:08. At age 45, the time is 5:15. If you’re 50, the time is 6:25. By age 55, the time is 7:24. If you’re 60, the time is 8:42. If you’re 65, the time is 9:51. And if you’re 70 the time is 11 p.m.

Psalm 90:12 reminds us, “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” (NKJV).

Or as the Living Bible puts it, “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”

To number your days is to keep careful watch over your time with the same kind of care and attention that we would give to budgeting, balancing your accounts, making sure there are always enough funds to make payments for the housing loan, the utilities, telephone bill, daily provisions, medicine and vehicle costs.

The more limited our income is, the more we would want to ensure that we are making the very best use of it.

‘Numbering our days’ is simply applying that same kind of discipline, but now with time instead of money.

It means optimizing the limited time we have left, planning your activities carefully and deciding what activities deserve more time and what deserve less.

It also means trying to save time whenever possible, so no hour is ever wasted.

As the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:15,16, we should “walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” 

If you do not keep careful track of where your time is spent, you will find it difficult to accomplish everything that you need to do.

You will always be complaining that you do not have enough time.

Perhaps there have been “more than your fair share of those times when the twenty four hours of the day do not seem to be ever enough for you and you’ve heartily wished that you had a few thirty-six hour days or an eight-day weeks.

But the problem is often not a lack of time, but poor time management.

If you find yourself unable to fulfill your responsibilities because of what seems to be a shortage of time, it probably means you’re not managing your time well.

Jesus told the story of a man who went on a journey and left his money with his servants.

This was not an uncommon thing in those days.

A wealthy man or a ruler would have many servants in his household, from those who performed basic labor to those who managed the financial affairs of his household, even his business.

In many cases some of the man’s servants would be better educated and skilled than he was.

Those highly trusted slaves had a virtual free hand within their prescribed areas of responsibility while the owner was at home.

the owner would go on a journey, he would leave full authority in the hands of these key servants, who’d have the ancient equivalent of a power of attorney.

So Jesus described a scenario in which a wealthy man went on a journey and left the key servants in charge of his possessions.

It’s difficult for us to know exactly what sum he left them, but one possibility is that he gave the equivalent of $5,000 to the first servant, $2,000 to the second servant, and $1,000 to the third.

What Are You Investing Your Days & Time In?

What is Jesus’ story saying to us?

I think it’s quite obvious. Jesus is like that wealthy man who goes on a journey, which spans the day he left this earth to the far day he which he returns in the Second Coming.

We are the servants he has invested in, and we are to take what he has given us and use it for his glory while we await his return.

In the New Testament, a word that is often used for “slave” or “servant” is the Greek word doulos.

It’s a term that describes a unique class of servant, not someone who was made that way by constraint or by force.

A doulos was someone who had been freed by their master yet still chose to continue their service out of their love for their master.

The servant was so thankful for this pardon that he or she would willfully choose to serve.

The apostle Paul often referred to himself as a doulos, and that is what we are as followers of Jesus Christ.

Christ has paid an incredible debt for us.

He has pardoned us.

He has forgiven us.

And now we should become his voluntary servants, not because we have to but because we want to – because we love him.

We recognize that he has instilled certain things in our lives that we are to use for his glory.

Certain gifts.

Certain talents.

Certain resources.

Everything.

Paul wrote, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT).

Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NLT).

This doesn’t mean that we must take a vow of poverty.

It simply means we recognize that it all belongs to God. Our lives belong to God.

Our families belong to God. Our possessions belong to God. Everything is his.

In Jesus’ story, the first servant took what he had, invested it, and received a 100 percent return.

He doubled his master’s investment.

The second, though he had less, did the same thing.

This demonstrates that it isn’t a person’s talent that matters as much as how he or she uses that talent.

God never demands from us the abilities we don’t have.

But He does demand that we should use, to the full, the abilities that we do possess.

We may not be equal in talent, but we should be equal in effort.

Take what God has given to you, do the most that you can with it for his glory.

God can do a lot with a little.

If you don’t believe me, just ask the boy with the five loaves and two fish who gave everything he had to Jesus.

It didn’t seem like a lot, but Jesus used them to feed a hungry multitude.

Jesus can take a little, bless it and multiply it.

He can use it beyond our wildest dreams.

How to “Number Your Days” 

If we will humble ourselves, take what we have and offer it to God, if we will be willing to do to the utmost what He has placed before us and be faithful in the utmost to the little, littler, littlest things, then He will give us more to do.

I would rather try and fail than never try at all.

Any time you take a chance, you can fail.

But it’s better to try than to never take chances and never have anything happen in your life.

So seize the day.

Seize the moment.

Seize the opportunities before you.

Don’t put it off too long, because you may not have as much time as you think.

Be productive with your life.

Be productive with your time.

Seize the opportunities God has given you.

Seize God, the Father!

Seize God the Son!

Seize God the Holy Spirit!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 90 The Message

90 1-2 God, it seems you’ve been our home forever;
    long before the mountains were born,
Long before you brought earth itself to birth,
    from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

3-11 So don’t return us to mud, saying,
    “Back to where you came from!”
Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether
    a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you.
Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
    no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
    and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
    we’re at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
    since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
    Is that all we’re ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
    (with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
    Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
    such anger against the very ones who fear you?

12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well!
    Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
    and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
    then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
    we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you’re best at—
    the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
    confirming the work that we do.
    Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

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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