pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: child


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Calling, Waiting, Redeeming

Reading: Hosea 1:10

The Israelites of Hosea’s day have broken the covenant relationship they once had with God.  Their choices have led them far from God.  Like any parent, He is surely disappointed and maybe even a little mad, but the love for them is as strong as ever.  As parents we too have been in this situation with our own children, loving them in spite of their actions, words, or behaviors.  And like our heavenly Father, we long for them to repent of their poor choices and to return to the ways they were taught.  We so long for this because this is where our relationship is at its best, both for us and for our children.  God is no different.

With the Israelites and with us today, God continues to ever call us back into a right relationship with Him.  His promise to them is to make them a mighty nation – as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.  His promise to us is somehow more personal.  God’s promises to love us, to care for us, to watch over us, to bless us all still remain.  As His children, we are still God’s covenant people.  Yet through Jesus the relationship became more personal and intimate.  We can relate to Jesus’ human nature as a friend yet His divine nature is also present, revealing His power and majesty.  Through His resurrection Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit, a living presence of Jesus that comes to dwell in us once we accept Him as Lord and Savior.

It is through the voice and movement of the Holy Spirit that God continues to call us, His children, back to Him over and over again.  No matter what our choices, God still seeks to keep us in a righteous relationship with Him.  When we stumble, He calls out.  When we sin, He redeems.  When we wander away, He waits patiently, continuing to seek us out.  For God’s amazing and wonderful far-reaching, never-ending, life-changing love, we are ever grateful.  For all of His love, mercy, and grace we say thanks be to God.


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God Reigns

Reading: Psalm 96: 10-13

The psalmist proclaims that God alone reigns.  The psalm calls for all of creation – plants, animals, sea creatures, fields, mankind – to rejoice for God will come to judge the earth.  When God comes He will judge in righteousness and truth, restoring equality and fairness.  At the initial reading this sounds like a problem for those living outside of God’s ways.  While this is true, it is also a call to enter into a life that recognizes God’s sovereignty.

I can recall many instances as a child when my parents either insisted I do something or were very adamant that I not do something.  Every child has a list like this by the time they enter adulthood.  This list was added to by teachers and coaches then by a spouse and by bosses.  In the moment I sometimes chafed at not having a choice or being placed in a spot I did not like at the time.  But it was often the case, always after the fact, that I realized my parents always had my best interests at heart.  My coach or teacher or spouse or boss was trying to pull out of me or develop in me something that I could not see myself.  They were coming from a place of righteousness and truth.  They were guided by love and concern for me.

In much the same way God desires for us to live in righteousness and truth.  His plans for us are to prosper us and to bring us good.  At times we too chafe at what our faith calls us to do or because of what it denies us.  We are human so at times we are drawn to earthly desires and temptations.  When we choose to declare God the Lord of our life, we are making the choice to follow His ways over the ways of the world.  Once we make this choice and proclaim God our Lord, then the Holy Spirit enters into our hearts and begins to guide and lead us to live in God’s righteousness and truth.  This path is narrow and the way is hard, but peace and contentment are found along this path.  Joy and everlasting life are found along this path.  May we choose to daily make God the Lord of our life so that we may live freely as a beloved child of God in this world.


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Reaching Up

Reading: Psalm 30: 1-5

David rejoices that God has heard his cry and has pulled him out of the pit.  In the Psalm, David reminds us that God’s favor lasts a lifetime.  David admits that there will be times of mourning, but because of God’s favor, we will rejoice in the end as the God who loves us will rescue us.

Even though these are the promises of God, sometimes we choose to stay in the pit.  We choose not to reach up.  We choose not to cry out for help.  Some of the time we think that our mourning will only be for a short while, so we can endure.  Some of the time we think our actions or choices have gotten us to where we are and therefore we ‘deserve’ a little suffering.  Both of these are prideful and have no place in our faith.  Our loving and forgiving God wants us to be joy filled each day.  So He asks us to give Him our burdens in exchange for His joy.  We just have to reach up.

But at times we also refuse the help God offers.  We almost enjoy the misery.  We enjoy the ‘woe is me’ sympathy or attention it brings.  Sometimes bad attention is better than no attention.  At these points we need to be reminded of God’s favor and of our status as child of God, dearly loved.  We must look within and find all that God loves and strive to bring these things out.  In time we find joy in the morning.

We too can be the hand that reaches out to another who is in a pit.  Just like us with God, they too have to be willing to reach up and must have a desire for healing and rejoicing.  If not, we can still be the loving presence of God, quiet until they are ready to hear how much God loves them.  Then we can take hold of that hand reaching up and can help them to take His hand.  May we each be ever accepting of God’s love and ever sharing it as well.


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Child of God

In our land of abundance, it can be easy to link our happiness to what we have or to what our job title is.  These things can too easily define us and our happiness  rises and falls with our relative perception of these criteria.  The more one ties their identity to possessions and titles, the further they move from their true identity.

When one identifies as a child of God first and foremost, our identity is secure no matter what physical or emotional changes come our way.  Our relationship with God always remains secure because His love never changes or fails.  No matter what things we have or what title we have, His love and presence in our lives does not change one bit.  And no matter what we say or do, He always seeks to remain in relationship with us.  When ‘child of God’ is our bedrock identity this world holds little sway over us.

At times I marvel at the faith of people living daily in conditions of poverty, violence, disease, and injustice.  The world they live in seems to offer so little hope or the chance at a better life.  Yet daily they exhibit hope through a solid faith in God.  They have allowed God’s joy to overcome the adversity that they face on a daily basis.  They live content in His love.

Living as a child of God draws us to this same place of love and contentment and trust.  Giving it all to God allows us to live in and experience His joy as well.  Life is not then about the here and now only, but also about our eternal life.  When we see and live as a child of God, we truly begin to store up treasures in heaven because that is where our heart is.  This is a treasure nothing on this earth can destroy or steal.  As the things of this world lessen, the things of His kingdom increase.  May we each walk this day as a child of God, living and trusting in Him.

Scripture reference: Matthew 6: 16-21


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In Our Trials

After a couple of underachieving semesters at college, I found myself dismissed from school.  Poor decisions on my part left me with a choice to make.  I could sit in my pity pot and cast blame all around me or I could move forward.  My choice was to attend community college and reapply to the university.  It was both a humbling and necessary experience in my life.

In Isaiah 43 God tells us, “Do not fear, I have redeemed you… you are mine.”  The chapter goes on to tell us that as the waters rise to overtake us and as the fires try to consume us, do not fear because God is with us.  In our struggles and in our times when we have to experience something unpleasant, we must remember that God call us by name, that He has already redeemed us, and that He is always with us.

Perhaps your trial is yet to come or perhaps there are another trial or two yet to come in your life.  Maybe your trial was not with college but was found in words such as “I want a divorce” or “We did eveything we could, but…” or in something equally traumatic.  There are and will be points in our lives when we all will have a choice to make.  Will we allow the event or the circumstances to define us or will we call on our heavenly Father and place our trust in Him?

In our trials, we must remember to claim our identity as a beloved child of God.  As the water rises or as the fire laps at us, we must remember that God does not want us to fear but to trust in Him instead.  The trials are real and they will come, but if we choose God, the fires will only refine us; they do not define us.  In our trials, may we cast all of our fears on Him and lean into God’s loving and protecting arms.

Scripture reference: Isaiah 43: 1-7


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No Matter the Messanger

Luke announces the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry within the context of who is in charge officially.  He names Tiberius Caesar along with more local rulers like Herod and Pilate.  All were men with great power over the people they ruled.  They decided on most matters of daily life and had the power to decide who lived and who died.  Rome was powerful and kept a tight leash on its subjects.  Within this system the Jewish religious leaders – Annas and Caiaphas – had some limited power.  It was far less power than the Roman rulers, but far more than the common people of Israel.

Into this context of political and religious leaders who love pomp and circumstance, who love to appear large and in charge, steps John.  He was humble and dressed in the simplest of clothing.  Instead of palaces and villas, he lived in the desert.  Instead of fine food and other luxuries, he ate wild locusts and honey.  After looking at the leaders on big thrones and in fine attire, many ust of looked at John and said, “Huh?”  The authorities must have really wondered about leaving the fine trappings of their courts and heading out into the wilderness to listen to this peasant.

But wouldn’t we say the same thing if John were to appear in our town?  In my town he would live along the creek and take shleter under a bridge or he would live up in the low hills on the edge of town and sleep in a tent or lean-to.  After a few days of John living this way, maybe more than a few of us would rather not be too near him.  We are used to our important information coming from men and women in nice clothes or in black robes.  But they are not the only sources.

We must be open to God’s word coming from any source.  He has picked some surprising people and will continue to do so.  From the elderly to the child, from the suit to the rags, God can and will use anyone to bring His message to us.  He could even use you or me.  May we have eyes to see and ears to hear all that God desires us to see and hear, no matter the messanger.

Scripture reference: Luke 3: 1-2


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The Faith of a Child

Jesus calls us to accept the kingdom of God like a child.  He warns that if we do not, we will not enter it.  As He has children gathered around Him, Jesus says the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Is Jesus calling us to a basic, immature faith?  I do not think so.  For each of us, our faith starts out smaller than it will be and our faith should grow and develop naturally, as a child does.

Much like a child as he or she grows, our faith also becomes more complex as we come to understand God and our relationship with Him better.   We learn to love more easily.  We learn to forgive quicker.  And we come to understand our ‘responsibilities’ as Christ-followers in deeper and more impactful ways.  The call to serve others as Christ did becomes louder as we better learn to put self aside more and more.  The Spirit’s voice becomes clearer as we are refined and come to see ways we can follow closer and be less prone to temptation and sin.

Our faith must also hold onto some characteristics that were strongest in childhood.  As a child we were often fearless and thought we could do anything.  In faith we are called to step out and to do things we never thought we could.  With this kind of faith we step out where God is leading and trust that He can do all things.  Children also do not understand limits.  If one cookie is good, ten are better.  Such should be our understanding of God’s limitless love.  No matter how much we receive from God, there is always more.  And no matter how much we pour out, there is always more to give away.  May we love without hesitation, knowing that God can do anything.

Scripture reference: Mark 10: 13-16


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See Like God

Have you ever stopped short of giving someone a chance because you could not get past their appearance?  Have you ever made a decision about someone before you exchanged conversation?  Have you ever…

The sad answer to these types of questions is all too often ‘yes’.  We tend to be quick to judge and slow to give those who we see as different from us much of a chance.  Part of this is because we are more comfortable around what we know.  Part of it is also fear of the unknown.

The sad reality though is that once we move past ou comfort and extend God’s love, we usually find that we are more alike than different.  God created each person to be in relationship with others and with God.  For those we do not have these relationships in their lives, it is ou call to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to extend a hand in love.

All of Jesse’s handsome, strong sons passed before Samuel except one.  With each Samuel thought ‘this is the Lord’s choice’ but he wasn’t.  Finally they waited while David was fetched from the fields and he too passed by Samuel.  God declared that David was the chosen one and instructed Samuel to anoint him with oil.  Samuel was reminded that God does not look at the things that man sees, but He looks at the heart.  This is how we are to see as well.

Answer the call to look past the surface.  Find that child of God in each you meet today.  Extend that hand.

Scripture reference: 1 Samuel 15:34 to 16:13


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God’s Great Patience

Sometimes it is a wonder that God chooses to stick with us and continues to be patient.  As a parent I can recall painful waitings as one of my children worked their way through figuring out something for themselves.  It would have been so much simpler (and less painful) for me to just jump in and tell them what to do or to fix their problem.  Just as God chose to let Abram grow into Abraham, we too must not rush in so that our children can grow into who God intends them to be.

And just as it was important for Abram or for our child to go through the process of growth, so too is it important for us in our faith journeys.  How many times God must have said, “Aaarrrggghhhh!!!”  over Abram’s choices.  How often he must do the same with me!  Yet, just as His love for us exceeds our love for Him, so too his faith in us exceeds our faith in Him.  And thank God!

From His eyes our growth must seem so painfully slow.  Remember the gospels and ponder this – how often Jesus must have looked at the disciples and wondered when they would get it?  In both God’s divine form and in His human form, He was and is oh so patient with us.  In His great love, He waits patiently for us to grow into the follower that He designed us to be.  I don’t really think God ever says ‘aarrgghh” about us.  I believe that God looks down upon us with great big loving eyes and a knowing smile on His face as we slowly grow into His plans for us.  How great is the Father’s love for us.  Oh how He loves you and me!!