pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Walk in the Light

Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

Verse 8: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”

Throughout the scriptures God and good has been represented by the light. It is first reflected in how God created the world. Light shone into the darkness. Light signals the start of each new day; it brings life to our souls and to the physical world. In contrast, evil and chaos are represented by the darkness. Under the cover of dark we feel that our misdeeds are somehow covered up or are at least less likely to be exposed.

Paul picks up on these themes in today’s writing. In verse 8 he writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Before choosing to live with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we were in the darkness. We lived for self and to satisfy the cravings of the flesh. When we live in the dark, our eyes adjust and we get accustomed to that lifestyle. But once we come to Christ, the light becomes our norm. The light first illuminates the darkness right around us, exposing the evil in our lives and in our hearts. It can be hard to adjust to being in the light, at first. In general it grows easier and easier to live in the light. Sometimes, however, it is harder. But hard in a good way.

Walking in the light grows easier as we draw more and more upon the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of Christ to lead and guide our lives. Faith becomes the norm that we live by. Faithful living becomes our daily way of living. Here a part of the walk also becomes harder. The light continues to shine, working its way into the nooks and crannies. There we come to see that this or that really is a sin. What was “ok” before is no longer ok. The light reveals that habit or behavior and we come to see that it too must be put to the cross.

As we seek to grow in Christ, may we ever shine the light both within our hearts and out into the world, encouraging a walk in the light of Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, this journey of faith leads us deeper and deeper into our relationship with you. Joy, love, hope, grace – they grow in abundance in our life with you. In the light the refining process continues too as selfish habits and prideful ways continue to be exposed. Grant me the courage to surrender these things to you. Amen.


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There Is Some Distance

Reading: Psalm 23:5-6 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Photo credit: Brett Jordan

Moving into these last two verses of Psalm 23 today, we will personalize these, in the spirit of Lent. In the first half of verse 5 the Lord prepares a table for us “in the presence” of our “enemies.” At first I picture them standing a little ways away, watching. But then I realize that Jesus ate with those generally considered “enemies” – tax collectors, prostitutes… So my enemies, they would be sitting at this table prepared by Christ. Some at the table will be seeing this from the other side: What is John doing at my table?!

Then there’s the setting – we are anointed, blessed. The cup overflows as does everything else on the table. There always was and is an abundance to everything Jesus does. There is always more than enough. At this table there is also an abundance of love and grace, empathy and mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

This scene is most often portrayed as a wedding banquet. I envision lots of tables like the one I described above plus a huge table at the front where Jesus sits with a host of people. Could this smaller table that Jesus prepared for us be the entry point to the real celebration going on up front? That is described in verses 6. The house of the Lord, our eternal dwelling place, is where “goodness and love” will overflow every day, all day. And perhaps these must begin to flow at our outer tables so that reconciliation and the restoration of all of our relationships can occur. Only then, when we are made right with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, only then will we sit with Christ at his table.

I believe the same truth exists right now. If we look at others and consider them an “enemy” then there is distance between us and Christ. “Enemy” is just as broad a term as “neighbor.” If there is anyone that we would love less than the one we truly love the most, then we have work to do here and now.

Prayer: Lord God, I know, I believe that you call me to love unconditionally. That’s how you love me. Help me to bridge the gap, Lord, between how I know I’m supposed to live and how I actually love. Day by day bring me closer to your table of grace. Amen.


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Fully Surrendered

Reading: Psalm 23:1-4

Verse 1: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Photo credit: Alex Woods

Psalm 23 is very familiar. Its words remind us of how deeply God can love and care for us. It speaks of the relationship that we can experience. David writes these words as one fully surrendered to God. In order to claim and to fully experience the relationship detailed in this Psalm, we too must be fully surrendered to God.

David chooses the shepherd analogy. He is drawing from years and years of being a good shepherd to his family’s sheep. In verse 1 David declares that he “shall not be in want.” God will provide for our daily needs. God will also provide for our emotional and spiritual needs. Not “might” – will! When we are surrendered to God, rest and restoration in green pastures and beside still waters is not optional. Surrendered fully, God will guide us in all righteousness. Sabbath is part of this.

God is also our shepherd when life gets difficult. Verse 4 reminds us that God will be fully present in the valleys – in those times when “the shadow of death” has fallen over our lives. When we lose a loved one, God is there to both comfort and protect us. God comforts us in our pain and also protects us against the evil one. In moments of loss, we are most vulnerable to the lies and manipulation of Satan. God protects us. Physical death is not the only deaths we experience. God is there in the loss of relationship, in the loss of a job or dream, in the loss of health… In all these, God comforts us and protects us. It is a provision so strong that we need not fear evil in any of these circumstances either. This fear can be fully surrendered to God too. Doing so, we find rest and restoration even in the valley of death or loss.

Psalm 23 reminds us of God’s presence and love and care in all of life. If we choose daily to surrender to and to walk in the presence of God, we are never alone. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, your love and care for me is so amazing and wonderful. You guide me and lead me in what is right. You lead me to times and places that restore my soul. Help me, Lord, to surrender daily so that I can experience the fullness of your love and care. Amen.


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Past the Surface

Reading: 1st Samuel 16:1-13

Verse 7b: “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

In our first Old Testament reading this week we visit a familiar passage and center in on a well-known verse. Samuel the prophet is sent to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel the prophet brings God’s word to the people. Like most prophets it is often by offering words of correction and warning. His job is to get wayward people to walk faithfully. His most recent difficult words informed King Saul that he has been rejected by God. He has violated God’s command. He will reign, however, until the next king is ready. Over time people have come to fear seeing Samuel coming. This all is why the city elders tremble as Samuel draws near.

As the time comes to anoint the future king, Samuel sees and thinks as we can be tempted to see and think. First comes Eliab – oldest, strongest, tallest. Surely this is the one! No, God says, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Son after son passes by Samuel. The oil remains in the horn. In the end the youngest is sent for – the one out tending the sheep. God says to Samuel, “Rise and anoint him. He is the one.” Maybe the least likely from human standards, but the one with the heart to follow God and to lead the people faithfully. The Spirit comes upon David and begins to prepare him to be king one day.

The key verse for today is the lesson we need to learn and to practice over and over. Go past the surface, get down below the shine to know the person’s heart. Hear their story, understand what has shaped and formed them. As we do, we will begin to see where God is working or where God could be at work. As David was, may we too be led by the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see what you see, to perceive as you perceive. Then guide me and use me to build your kingdom by encouraging and empowering others in their walk of faith. Amen.


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Drawing Others to the Lord and Savior

Reading: John 4:27-42

Verse 28: “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town.”

As the story of Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well continues, we read, “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town.” The woman has been touched by Jesus emotionally and spiritually. She lays aside – maybe forgets? – why she came to this place and goes to invite others to come and meet Jesus. It is no small point that she goes and invites those who have made her into an outsider, into an outcast that feels she must come to draw water alone in the heat of the day.

So moved is the woman and so compelling is her testimony that she draws others into a relationship with Jesus. Can you remember when your faith was so strong that it drew others to Christ? Perhaps you have and live that kind of faith now. The woman’s testimony is so powerful that many Samaritans come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Others are drawn by this power and come to believe after they have spent some time with Jesus. In all, many people from this woman’s village come to know “that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

Where do you connect with this story? Are you where the woman was when she first came to the well or are you like the woman who laid her worldly task aside to share the good news of what Jesus has done for her? Maybe you’re somewhere in between. In the end Jesus calls the disciples and us to be like the woman who went into town to draw others to her Lord and Savior. In verse 35 Jesus tells us, “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for the harvest.” Like the woman, may our faith draw others to the Savior.

Prayer: Lord God, use me today to draw others to Christ. By my words, my actions, my example, use my life to reveal the Lord and Savior of the world to all that I meet. Amen.


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Who Is Our Woman at the Well?

Reading: John 4:5-26

Verses 13-14: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”

Our passage in John 4 begins with Jesus alone at the well. A woman comes alone to the well to draw water in the heat of the day. There are a few cultural reasons that this encounter should not happen, but it does anyway. All that matters to Jesus is ministering to this woman, to this lost soul.

After feeling each other out a bit, Jesus says to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” In the first part Jesus is saying that this water – the things of this world – they never truly satisfy. This connects into his statement about having had five husbands and now a boyfriend. Significant others are one way we can try and find satisfaction and happiness. Some collect cars or other forms of wealth. Some turn to alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, working out… None of these things satisfy our inner thirst for joy, peace, contentment…

Jesus continues, offering her the greatest gift ever: “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” In Christ she can find something the world cannot offer: everlasting love, an eternal relationship, a place to always belong, to always have worth. These are the things that the woman needs at her core. These are things we all need. We try and fill our hearts and souls with many things. But only God in Christ can make us complete and whole. There we find the joy, the hope, the peace, the contentment, the meaning and purpose we all need.

The question that sticks with me today is this: Who is the woman at the well in your life, in my life? This was not a chance encounter in today’s passage. Jesus was at the well, waiting just for her. How will you and I make connection with that lost soul that we know?

Prayer: Lord God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, lead and guide me to the well, to connect, to enter into relationship, to draw another closer to you. Amen.


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Eyes on Christ

Reading: Romans 5:1-11

Verse 1: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Photo credit: Josh Calabrese

Today in Romans 5 Paul writes of the peace and joy that we come to know as we walk with Jesus Christ. This journey begins as God goes to work in our hearts. As we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are justified or made right with God. This, however, is not a once-and-done process. We need to be made right again and again because by nature we are sinful. But we are justified by grace – the unending, undeserved free gift of God that loves us back into right relationship again and again. As God pours out love through the Holy Spirit, filling our hearts, we receive joy upon joy. Being loved so deeply and unconditionally, we experience reconciliation with God every time we repent and turn back to God. What a merciful and loving and graceful God we serve!

Now, if only we lived with this joy and hope and confidence all of the time. If we could only set our eyes on Christ and walk steadily and without falter each moment of each day. We can and do at times. But I find myself glancing sideways now and then as a bright shiny object or a scary dangerous threat nears me. If it draws enough of my attention, my gaze can linger. Maybe you too take a glance now and then. Maybe once in a while your gaze lingers. And sometimes I look back over my shoulder, looking to see who is catching up or sneaking up. I do this when I fall into the doing or achieving mode. Maybe you fall to these temptations once in a while too. If only we could fix our eyes…

When we falter, when our gaze is drawn off the path that leads to life abundant, may we always remember that while we were in that sinful state, Christ died for us. He died so that we can always be reconciled. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, my life is so much better when my eyes and heart are focused on you. Even in the trials, there is hope and joy and peace in you. Train me more and more to focus on your love and grace and mercy – day by day helping me to walk more and more with Christ. Amen.


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Will We Choose to Listen?

Reading: Psalm 95:8-11

Verse 8: “If only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Photo credit: Einar Storsul

Turning to the second section of Psalm 95 we are connected back to Exodus 17. The psalmist is reflecting back to a time when the Israelites tested and tried God, when they grumbled against God and Moses. We recall this ugly moment came right after experiencing miracle after miracle after miracle from God. This seems so impossible. Yet the reality is that we too can go from a high moment of faith to questioning or doubting the next moment as life unexpectedly crashes down around us.

The psalmist declares that God was “angry with that generation.” They are identified as a people “whose hearts go astray” and as ones who “have not known my ways.” This generation has proven itself to be stubborn and rebellious. Again and again. At the end we read, “They will never enter my rest.” This generation will die in the desert. Even Moses, because of a moment of anger and exasperation with these people, will not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.

So how does this story from thousands of years ago apply to our lives and faith today? I believe one could make a strong case that our generation is stubborn and rebellious. One could easily argue that our hearts go astray and that we follow our own desires more often than not. The advice that begins our passage very much applies to us as we seek to follow Jesus in the wilderness of today’s world: “If only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

God continues to speak today. God speaks through the Bible and through modern day prophets. God speaks through the Holy Spirit – in whispers and nudges, in convictions, in revelations. God speaks through ordinary people like you and me. The question is whether or not we will choose to listen to God’s voice when we hear it. Or will we wander in the wilderness, ultimately ending up outside of God’s love and grace?

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to default to grumbling and testing and trying your love. It’s tempting to succumb to the pleasures and lures of this world. These voices can be so loud, the lies so compelling. Or they can be whispered so seductively. Lord, strengthen my resolve to walk as a disciple, deepen my trust in you alone, gird me up with your Spirit. I desire to be fully yours. Be with me moment by moment. Guide me through the battle ahead. Amen.


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Personal, Intimate, Intentional

Reading: Psalm 95:1-7

Verse 6: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”

Psalm 95 is an invitation to sing and shout, to offer thanksgiving and praise to the Lord our God. The psalmist encourages us to take time to connect with our God, the one who formed and is a part of all of creation. In verse 6 we read, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” To me, this passage calls us to prayer. Prayer is the act of spending personal, intimate, intentional time with God. We can and should ‘pray on the fly’ – short prayers for the one in the ambulance, quick prayers for the parent struggling with a child, a fast shout-out for the person whose name pops into your mind. But to cultivate our relationship with God, it requires a deeper, more intense time of prayer.

Our relationship with God is like all of our relationships. If all we ever share with a person is a passing ‘Hello’ at the start of the work day, then that relationship will never go beyond the surface level of ‘acquaintance.’ Some treat God this way all the time. All of us can, actually, at times – when life gets overly busy or really stressed. This is why a consistent, highly prioritized prayer practice is essential to our faith and to our relationship with God. If it is haphazard – in the morning one day, at night a couple days, on the ride to work one day – then it is so much easier to ‘forget’ or to simply let it slip for a day. Or two. Or ten.

When my kids were young – 25 or so years ago – I began the habit of rising early to carve out quiet time with God. It was not easy. It was hard. Yet whether at home or on a mission trip or on vacation, whether healthy or sick, my early morning discipline is something I’ve held fast to. It has become essential to both my daily living and in keeping me closely connected to the Lord. One of two questions for you: What is your prayer discipline? Or… How and when will you develop a daily prayer discipline?

Prayer: Lord God, it is hard to imagine life and faith without our morning quiet time. It feels to me like water or air – something I couldn’t live without. Thank you for this gift of intimacy, honesty, connection. Amen.


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Patience, Love, Mercy

Reading: Exodus 17:3-7

Verse 6: “I will stand there before you… Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”

Continuing in Exodus 17 today, the people are thirsty – parched. They grumble at Moses who grumbles to God. At this point, God demonstrates patience, love, and mercy. I imagine God first drawing a deep breath and then counting to 10. As God exhales slowly, I imagine God looking down in love upon this quarrelsome, doubting lot. As God looks upon these children panicking in the desert, God’s heart is once again moved to mercy. We don’t have to imagine this part. In verses 6 God tells Moses, “I will stand there before you… Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” God goes before Moses, leading the way to water, to life, to joy.

First, a lesson from Moses: lead using the example you want others to follow. After receiving the peoples’ complaint, Moses should’ve gone to God in prayer. Moses should’ve first sought God’s direction, strength, guidance – and patience, love, and mercy. This is how God led. That’s our second lesson, this one from God. When seeking to help or care for someone in distress, practice patience, love, and mercy. See the person as they are, try to understand where they are, feel what it is like to be in their shoes. Then allow first love and then mercy to guide your efforts and your response.

We are now in our own season in the wilderness. We are journeying towards the cross during Lent. This season of introspection invites us to look within, to honestly see ourselves as we are. Maybe we’ll find some grumbling and a bit of quarreling. Maybe we’ll find anger or lust or pride or doubt or something else that needs to go. As we seek to root out these sinful behaviors as we prepare ourselves to stand at the foot of the cross in the presence of the one who surrendered all for us, may we too practice patience, love, and mercy with ourselves. The roots of our sin are deep and the journey is long and difficult. May God be with us.

Prayer: Lord God, today I ask that you pour out your patience, love, and mercy. Fill me with these so that I too can be generous with them – both with myself and with others. Lead me to look deeply within this day; guide me to that which I need to surrender to your will and way. Amen.