pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Rejoice in Blessings

Reading: Psalm 4

Verse Seven: “You have filled my heart with greater joy then when their grain and new wine abounds”.

Funny thing, but you can always find someone who has more or better or newer. If you just drove off the lot with the bright new shiny car of your dreams, someone somewhere is seconds later driving off another lot with the same car plus one more upgrade. Inevitably you will see them later in the day. You are delighted in your new salary until you pass the water cooler and hear someone else telling of their better raise. You are proud of your team’s victory until you hear of a team with a more impressive title. That trophy loses some of its shine. Such is the way of the world. When we chase after things that do not last or that rust and decay, then we will ever be seeking the latest and greatest next thing. In our passage, this is they with “grain and new wine” abounding. All is good until they see someone with more grain or newer wine.

Even as a follower of Jesus, at times we can fall into the longing for more or better trap. Even David writes to God, “How long will you turn my glory into shame”? He also notes that many are asking, “Who can show us any good”? At times we can feel sorry for ourselves or our lot in life. At times we can long for other things. We can even be critical of others and what they have as a way of alleviating our feelings of being less.

Into all if this David offers some wonderful words of hope and faith. He knows as we know: “The Lord will hear when I call”. God hears our prayers. He goes on to encourage us to “trust in the Lord”. For those who question or doubt, he offers a request to God: “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord”. Turn to God, put our hope in God alone. In doing so it is a turning away from the things of the world.

One last word that David offers is a wonderful practice for us today. In verse seven he acknowledges, “you have filled my heart with greater joy”. It is an acknowledgement of God’s blessings in his life. It is an awesome way to begin each day. Writing down and giving thanks for yesterday’s blessings is a great way to help us be joyfully content in this world and to remind ourselves of God’s great love for us. It is a practice I encourage you to do daily. In this time and place, may we recognize and rejoice in the many blessings that God gives us each and every day. Then we too will “lie down and sleep in peace”.


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A Better Way

Reading: Genesis 29: 15-28

Verse 25: What is this you have done to me? … Why have you deceived me?

Today’s reading is an interesting turn of events.  Poor Jacob is tricked by his uncle and ends up with the older, less beautiful daughter.  But before we feel too bad for Jacob, let’s remember why he is here.  Jacob has fled from his home to escape the wrath of his father Isaac and his brother Esau.  He tricked the very elderly Isaac into giving him, the younger son, Esau’s birthright.  Maybe, just maybe, Jacob deserves what Labsn has done – a little taste of his own medicine, so to speak.

But before we jump on that bandwagon, we’d better take a little stock of our own lives.  Yes, we have probably been in a place like Jacob finds himself in.  We have been let down by someone we trusted.  We have had agreements and arrangements broken.  Maybe we were a faithful employee for years and years, only to see the new and younger person receive the leadership role.  Maybe we have seen a long-term friendship evaporate when someone new moved to town.  We have all been where Jacob finds himself.  We know the anger, the hurt, the frustration.

When we stop and reflect, though, we’ve all played Laban’s role as well.  Maybe we haven’t slipped the older daughter into a drunk man’s bed after he had worked for seven years for the other daughter, but we have made decisions or manipulated or crossed the line a time or two.  Maybe it was as simple as choosing how to reword something or to embellish it or to leave a detail out – to best insure our desired outcome.  In any event, we have been there and done it.  We too have made others shout, “What is this you have done to me? … Why have you deceived me”?

When we take stock, when we reflect on those moments, we realize there is a better way for us and for others.  It is the way of love, the way of the servant, the way of Jesus.  Lord, help me to be righteous, bringing honor and glory to you in all I do and say and think this day and every day.


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The Better Choice 

Reading: Luke 10: 38-42

In today’s reading, Mary has chosen Jesus, the “better part”.  Martha has chosen busyness.  She is working hard to serve Jesus and His traveling companions.  While being a servant is usually a good thing, what Mary has chosen is definitely better.  When Martha complains to Jesus that Mary is not helping her, Jesus names Martha’s lesser choice and defends Mary’s better choice.  The question is: did Martha stop and sit at Jesus’feet as well or did she let out a frustrated sigh and stomp off to continue her preparations?

Often we find ourselves in the same dilemma.  Do we stop or lay aside what we are doing to make the better choice that God has placed before us?  Do we take the time to share Jesus either verbally or through our actions when God places us in that situation where we can be His light and love?  Or do we go on with excuses and rationalizations rolling off of our tongues?

Later, in the Gospel of John, we see that Martha has learned what the better choice is.  After Lazarus has died, she is the first one to run to Jesus as He approaches to declare her faith in Him and to proclaim that He is the Messiah.  Whether it happened right after Jesus declared the better choice in Luke or whether it happened sometime before this story in John, we are thankful that Martha eventually made the better choice.

This day and every day, may we all be like Martha, joining Mary and sitting at the feet of Jesus, hearing His words and growing in our faith.