pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: blessings


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Building Blocks

Reading: Luke 19

Luke 19:37 – “The whole throng of his disciples began rejoicing. They praised God with a loud voice.”

Photo credit: Markus Spiske

“Zacchaues intercepts Jesus” is how my Bible’s notes describe this first encounter in our reading. Jesus sees him in the tree and invites himself to Zacchaues’ house for dinner. Perhaps in response to the crowd’s grumbling, Zacchaues announces that he will give half his wealth to the poor and will repay four times over anyone he’s cheated. He’ll do this that very day. The notes suggest that Zacchaues is defending himself by presenting his customary practices of generosity.

This story is followed by one about faithful service. Two servants put the master’s wealth to good use. Instead of working hard, another hides what he was given to use. His wealth is taken and given to the one with much. Jesus continues on to Jerusalem.

Jesus enters the city on a colt, his disciples loudly rejoicing and praising Jesus and the peace that he offers. This parade is a counter display to Herod’s annual Passover parade, when he enters the city on a mighty warhorse with an entourage of soldiers. Jesus enters humbly, from the opposite direction, demonstrating the kingship and peace of God. The Pharisees worry about this challenge to Roman authority. Jesus responds that if the crowd were silent, “the stones would cry out.”

Jesus then laments that these stones will be torn apart. Because the Jews refuse his kingdom of peace, they will revolt, only to be completely crushed. Jesus weeps over this. He proceeds to the temple, where he chases out those turning a huge profit instead of meeting the people’s needs. The religious leaders seek a way to kill Jesus while the people are enthralled with his daily teaching in the temple. What a contrast in these two groups.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the examples today of generosity and hard work. Both are building blocks of your kingdom. Lead us to use the blessings you’ve given us to build well. Remind us daily of your peace as we build. Remind us daily of who we serve. Amen.


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May Blessings Flow

Reading: Ezekiel 53-48

Ezekiel 47:9 – “Wherever the river flows, every living thing that moves will thrive.”

Photo credit: Kazuend

The majority of today’s reading focuses on God’s presence re-entering the new temple and on the ordering of all aspects of worship and temple life. God’s glory fills the temple, leading Ezekiel to fall in worship. God then instructs him to listen carefully and to write down these new instructions. The central focus is on holy versus unholy or clean versus unclean. Building and purifying the altar, proper worship on the Sabbath and during the two festivals (used to be three), honoring the east gate, setting aside sacred spaces, regular offerings – all were aimed at maintaining the holy. To keep and hold these spiritual practices in the highest ways would work against a return to the “detestable practices” of old, to the unholy.

In chapter 47 there is a river that flows from the temple, out the east gate – the gate that God’s holiness entered through. The trickle grows to a vast river that brings life and abundance to the people of God. As God’s presence is brought out into the world, blessings flow with it. This remains true today.

Ezekiel closes by defining Israel’s borders and by allotting land to the tribes. These boundaries connect back to what God originally laid out for Moses back in Numbers 35. Land is allotted, beginning in the north, to Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah. Next comes the Holy portion, with the temple at its center. The city and Prince are allotted land here in this central section. Moving to the south, land is allotted to Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad. Benjamin and Judah remain central, just flipped from their pre-exile locations. Similarly, the tribes furthest out are the children of the maidservants. Each tribe received an equal portion of the land. This time the Levites are included. The twelve city gates are named after the original sons of Jacob. Joseph’s sons are combined to make space for Levi. God’s new kingdom envisioned here will one day be established here on earth. We await the day!

Prayer: Lord God, what a vision for what will be at the end of this present age. You will be the center, the focus, the life source. Yes, we do await the day. Yet, as we wait, Lord God, use us to draw this world closer to this vision. Use us as the life-giving river that flows out into the world, bringing blessings and abundance into people’s lives. Amen.


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The Lord Will Fight

Readings: 2nd Chronicles 29, 2nd Chronicles 30, 2nd Chronicles 31, 2nd Chronicles 32

2nd Chronicles 32:8 – “All he has is human strength, but we have the LORD our God, who will help us fight our battles!”

Hezekiah is the focus of today’s readings. In the first month of his rule he reopens the temple and sets the priests to making it holy once again. After eight days the temple is purified. Early the next morning sacrifices are offered for all Israel, songs are sung, the Lord is praised. Hezekiah invites the people to bring thank offerings to God. The response is so great that the Levites have to step in and help.

Next Hezekiah reestablishes the celebration of the Passover. He sends word throughout all of Judah – and Israel. Some from up north laugh and make fun of the invitation, but some come from Israel. A huge crowd gathers and celebrates the Passover. So wonderful and joyous is the celebration, they decide to worship God for seven more days. Fueled by this celebration the people go out and cleanse Judah of all idol worship. The pillars, poles, shrines, and altars are all destroyed.

Hezekiah then calls for the resumption of the tithe to support the daily needs of the priests. The people bring their best in great abundance. Judah is at its high point in its relationship with God – the best since the days of Solomon. It is then that King Sennacherib of Assyria comes. Hezekiah trusts fully in God. He encourages the troops to be brave and strong. He says, “All he has is human strength, but we have the LORD our God, who will help us fight our battles!” Hezekiah trusts that the Lord will fight the battle. That very night God’s messenger comes and kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (2nd Kings 19.) Sennacherib goes home in disgrace.

A deadly illness then sets in on Hezekiah but he cries out to God and is healed. But in that moment he is too proud to properly thank God. He and Israel begin to feel God’s anger. They repent and God’s blessings return. Hezekiah dies and is buried in the “upper area” of the tombs with David’s sons. Gold star!

Prayer: Lord God, what a great reminder of the value of a long, steady, obedient faith. In the big and the small, your will and your ways were the focus. Trust in you was sure. Help us to live out this kind of faith. Amen.


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Not So Tightly

Readings: Leviticus 24, Leviticus 25, Leviticus 26, Leviticus 27

Leviticus 25:23 – “The land must not be permanently sold because the land is mine. You are just immigrants and foreign guests of mine.”

Photo credit: Javardh

We draw to the close of our time in Leviticus today. The last four chapters begin with commands concerning the eternally burning lamp stand, its oil, and the bread for the table of God. Punishment for blaspheming and assault are clarified. Standards are set so that the punishment fits the crime. Standards are also set for the land’s sabbatical year and for the Year of Jubilee. The land is given a year to rest, to lie fallow. God promises to provide generously, as was done with the manna, to carry Israel through.

The Year of Jubilee is a 50-year reset. Land and debts are restored or forgiven. Values are set according to this special year – both in buying and selling, even for those in servitude or hardship. This year of restoration is grounded in the spirit of verse 23: “The land must not be permanently sold because the land is mine. You are just immigrants and foreign guests of mine.” The land, the crops and herds… our time, our resources, our wealth – it is all God’s. Don’t cling so tightly to it.

In chapter 26 covenant blessings are followed by covenant curses. The blessings are fewer numerically – ample food, peace, victory in battle, prosperity, population growth, God’s presence. The curses are stacked in if-then, escalating scenarios. Verses 14-39 remind me of the plagues in Egypt. Yet as bad as it gets – and it does get bad as all of these curses unfold – we still have verses 40-42. If Israel confesses, if they humble their hearts and repent, then God will remember the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – “because I am the Lord their God “

Leviticus closes with dedications and gifts to the Lord. Dedication values are set for people (??!); homes, land, and livestock belong to the Lord. Jubilee rules apply. We close with the command that 1/10 of the produce of the land and 1/10 of the herd or flock belongs to God. Again, don’t cling to it so tightly.

Prayer: Lord God, your grace and mercy, your love and care flow freely. Yet we are to live in covenant. We have responsibilities. Or are they responses to your blessings? Help us to understand this relationship correctly. Amen.


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More and More

Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23

Verses 22-23: “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

After opening his letter to the church in Ephasus with a reminder of their spiritual blessings, Paul offers words of prayer that they would live into these blessings. He has heard of their faith and love and he has prayed each day for them. This is not just a prayer of thanksgiving but it is also for growth and greater understanding. Paul wants to see their faith mature and deepen.

To this end, Paul prays for “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” These abilities, enhanced by the Holy Spirit, will enable them to “know him better.” The “him” and the “he” that Paul keeps referring to is Jesus. Adding to head knowledge, Paul prays that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Here Paul connects to the spiritual blessings that he wrote about in verses 3-14. With hearts open to fully receive, Paul prays for them to know the hope of their salvation, the glorious inheritance that is guaranteed by their adoption into the family of God, and the power that is theirs through Jesus Christ – the one who came to “bring all things in heaven and in earth together.”

Paul then reminds the Ephesians and us that God raised Jesus up and placed him “at his right hand,” giving Jesus full authority over all things. In verses 22-23 we read, “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body.” There is a totality to Jesus’ reign. While this has not yet been fully realized, it will be a complete reality one day. In the interim, for the church in Ephasus and for the church today, our task is to live in such a way that makes this more and more of a reality day by day. May it be so for us all.

Prayer: Lord God, your desire is to be in all and over all and through all. You want to sit squarely on the throne of our hearts. You want us to give ourselves to you and to this world more and more each day. Yes, may it be so, O Lord. Amen.


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Assurance and Trust

Reading: Psalm 16:1-6

Verse 2: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

Photo credit: Eugene Zhyvchik

Psalm 16 presents the choice we all face. David begins with a request to be kept safe and for God to be his refuge. A refuge is a place that we can go to be safe, to be protected from things that threaten us. David then makes a declaration: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” This reveals David’s intention to allow God to reign in his life and it also acknowledges the blessings of God in his life. I’d guess most of us would pray this verse each day, fully hoping to live into and to live out these words.

To me verse 4 is a bit of a reality check. Contrasting with the saints in whom David delights, here he notes those who chase after false gods. From his perspective, this brings sorrow to life. David declares that this is not for him. I’d guess most of us would also like to make this declaration. But for me, and maybe for you, I do find myself chasing after false gods – probably more than I’d like to admit. The desires for recognition and success, for security and for comfort most readily come to mind.

Turning to verses 5 and 6, although David is speaking, I hear God whispering, “I got you.” David recognizes that he is God’s child and that God’s plans and ways do guide his life. This has hemmed his life into “pleasant places.” Yes, we stray, but we live mostly in those green pastures beside still waters. Walking this path of faith and hope, David trusts in his “delightful inheritance.” His journey with God has brought David to a place of assurance and trust. He knows that a beautiful eternity awaits one day. May our journey of faith lead each of us to the same place of assurance and trust.

Prayer: Lord God, I desire to find refuge in you. Protect me from the temptations and pitfalls of this life. Focus me again and again on all of the good things that you pour out into my life and over me. Here, build my trust. And in moments when I doubt or waiver, bring to mind the inheritance that I too know I have as a child of the king. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Amen.


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Give Thanks

Reading: Psalm 100

Verse 5: “The Lord is good and God’s love endures forever.”

Today’s passage is subtitled ‘A psalm. For giving thanks.’ As we read the words of Psalm 100, we are encouraged to be thankful today. We’re invited to worship the Lord with gladness and with joy. We’re reminded that God made each of us and that we are the sheep of God’s family. What great reasons to be thankful!

We are called to let our thanks overflow – to allow our joy to pour out of us and into other people’s lives. Yes, we are to “enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and praise,” but we are also to take that out with us into the world. In us and in our lives, people should see our lives as lives of living praise. In our daily life, people should see how God is good.

On this day we celebrate the blessings of our lives. It seems to come naturally on Thanksgiving day. But our thanks shouldn’t be limited to today or even to the times when life does seem to be blessing us. We are also to be thankful in the hard times. Then too, God is good. In the difficulties and in the valleys, God’s presence is strong and powerful. When we learn into the Lord in the trial, we give awesome witness to the truth that God is good all the time.

As we close I’d like to share a question that really struck me in today’s devotional by L. Cecile Adams in Disciplines 2022. She asked, “What do you want to be thankful for that is not yet on your ‘giving thanks’ list?” May the Lord grant this desire of your heart!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your goodness all the time. You are ever faithful – in the ups and downs and in the middle ground. You have blessed me and mine in so many ways. You have walked with us in the trials. Your love is amazing. Thank you. Amen.


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Amazing and Wonderful

Reading: Acts 2: 1-13

Verse 4: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them”.

Photo credit: Jordan Wozniak

Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, comes fifty days after the day of the Passover. This great Jewish festival celebrates two things: the wheat harvest and the giving of the Torah, or the Law. Many Jews from all over the world come to Jerusalem to celebrate these two blessings from God. During one of these large gatherings almost 2,000 years ago a mighty wind blew through Jerusalem and filled a house where some followers of Jesus were gathered. Curious, a large group of Jews from all over the world gathered around that house.

“What seemed to be tongues of fire” settled on those inside the house. The promised Holy Spirit had arrived and drew a crowd. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them”. Enabled by the power of the Spirit those inside began to witness to those outside. These men and women from Galilee spoke in languages from all over the known world. Jews from all over the world heard the “wonders of God” – the good news of Jesus Christ – for the first time. They were both amazed and perplexed. Considering how abnormal all of this was, their response is pretty normal: amazed and perplexed. I know what I am hearing. How can this be?

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God spoke into the hearts of both believers and the Jews, to those inside and those outside. It was a powerful moment for both groups. Being filled with the Holy Spirit was inspiring for the believers. To hear the good news of Jesus Christ for the first time, in your native language, would also be incredible. What an amazing and wonderful God! A great number of people will come to faith in Jesus Christ this day. Many of those will return to their parts of the world a new creation in Christ. The church will continue to grow and spread. More on all of this tomorrow!

For today, though, let us recall our experiences with witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ. When was your amazed and perplexed moment – that moment you realized the Jesus was your Lord and Savior? What led you to belief? And when have you had the privilege of witnessing for Christ, telling another of his unconditional love and unending grace? May our amazing and wonderful God continue to work in and through you and me, changing the world.

Prayer: Lord God, enable me by the power of your Holy Spirit to speak of your love and grace. Guide me to witness to the hope I find in Jesus Christ, my Lord. Open hearts and minds to receive the good news today. Amen.


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Finding Peace

Reading: Philippians 4: 4-9

Verse 8: “Whatever is true… noble… right… pure… lovely… admirable… excellent… praise-worthy – think about such things”.

Yesterday, in the opening verses of this week’s passage from Philippians 4, Paul encourages the resolution of a disagreement in the church. Today Paul works out ways to be unified and at peace within our lives and within our churches.

To be at peace within Paul calls us to first rejoice in the Lord. When we are grateful daily for God’s presence and blessings in our lives, our outlook is changed. We become more positive, even concerning the challenges we face. Paul next reminds us to be gentle. It is a disposition we do not often think of. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, put it this way: “do no harm”. Paul goes on to offer an alternative to our anxious spirits – take everything to God in prayer. Be thankful for the good, be honest and forthright with our requests. From this place of prayer, Paul tells us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. This peace of God will guard us against worry and anxiety and fear and doubt and stress and… once we trust these things to God in prayer. Giving them up, acknowledging God’s love and power and control, will bring us peace.

To be at peace in our lives and in the church, Paul gives us a list of what to focus on. In verse eight he directs our thoughts to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praise-worthy. In short, focus on Jesus. Jesus is all these things and more. This is what Paul strived to live out, to model, and what he taught. Continuing on in verse nine, he encourages us to take all of these things and to “put it into practice”. Live out there traits of Jesus and we will find peace in our lives and in our churches. May it be so for us all.

Lord God, guide me in all these things – truth, being noble, righteousness… Focus me in always on the things of Christ, not of the world, not of my inner self. Form me more and more into one who dwells in your peace. Build up the unity in the body of Christ as we all seek to walk in the way of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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True Transformation

Reading: Psalm 72: 1-7 and 18-19

Verse 4: “He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy”.

Psalm 72 picks up on the themes of Isaiah 11. God’s “royal son” will rule with righteousness and justice. There will be prosperity for the land. This ideal leader “will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy”. The poor and needy, the marginalized and outcast, will share in the blessings that come with prosperity. The rich will not simply get richer. The good ruler insures that all are included in the blessings.

The psalmist compares the falling rain to the good ruler’s reign. The rain falls on the whole land – on the good and the bad, on the rich and the poor. In the same way, a good ruler’s efforts fall on all people. Because the good ruler cares for all people, it breeds compassion amongst the people. The ones who have prospered, the ones who have been blessed, become blessings to those without. A good ruler influences the people. A generous ruler soon leads generous people. An empathetic ruler soon leads empathetic people.

We follow a leader who was generous and compassionate, who had a special love for the poor and needy, who cared for and was a blessing to all people. If we are true followers, we will be generous, compassionate… We have the power to be God’s light and love in the world. We can feed the needy, stand up for those on the margins…

In verse eighteen we get a good reminder: God alone “does miraculous deeds”. The changing of hearts, the healing of brokenness, the breaking down of walls – this is the stuff of God, not us. We can do much good in the world on our own. True transformation comes only when God is involved. We can do our part and it is often necessary. God alone changes lives. May our lives tell the story of Jesus and his love. In the process may we be blessed to see the Lord of all at work transforming hearts.

Prayer: God of love and compassion, use me today. Allow me to bear witness to your blessings in my life. Guide me by the power of the Holy Spirit to say and do as you will. Work in the lives of the lost and broken today, O God! Build your kingdom of love in this time and place. Build it in me. Amen.