pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: cruel


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Do We Pray… and Listen?

Reading: Matthew 26:36-44

Matthew 26:41 – “Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation.”

Today we enter a familiar scene: Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. The cross looms large. He is moving steadily towards his death. The arrest follows this passage. Jesus feels a great need to pray. He knows that what lies ahead will be a cruel and physically punishing death. The human part of Jesus and the divine part reveal themselves in his prayers.We too find ourselves in this place, wrestling with the promises we know to be true set against the fears within and the lies of the world.

Most of the disciples remain at the entrance to the Garden, but Jesus takes Peter, James, and John a bit deeper in..Jesus shares his inner struggles with these three: “I’m very sad. It’s as if I’m dying.” He then asks them to “keep alert with me.” Jesus is asking his friends to pray with him. Going a bit deeper into the Garden, the human side of Jesus prays that this task of dying be taken from him. Then, fully aware of God’s plan, the divine part prays, “Not what I want but what you want.” There is surrender to and worship of God in these words that are prayed three times.

Returning to Peter, James, and John he finds them asleep. Waking them he offers them encouragement, saying, “Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation.” Jesus knows the trials coming for them and the rest of the disciples. He’s been modeling how to face these trials, but they’ve been sleeping. Soon they too will have to decide between God’s will and their own will. We face these same trials. Do we walk in faith and trust or do we allow fear, worry, doubt… to guide us? Do we pray and receive guidance and strength from the Spirit, or do we listen to another voice?

Prayer: Lord God, how often we hear more than one voice. The voice of your Spirit is always there but so is our own voice. The noise of the world clamors often too. In moments of trial and temptation, in times of struggle and hardship, whisper your promises and your love into our hearts. May that whisper garner all of our attention. May the voice that always rings true show us the way to surrender to your will and ways. Amen.


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The One True God

Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7

Verse 6: “And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

Just over a week ago at youth group, one of our kids asked about the difference between God and the gods of the Greeks, Romans… It is a good place to begin today’s thoughts on Isaiah 9. The gods were limited and they were flawed. Each god was a god of something – war, love, rain, fertility… The gods fought with one another, played cruel tricks on humanity, sometimes had evil intents. These false gods, however, did not cease to exist with the Romans or whoever. They have new names today – wealth, popularity, beauty… – but they continue to lead us away from the one true God. Pursuing these gods limits our ability to fully be who we were created to be. Allowing these gods to drive our decisions and actions yields flawed results in our lives.

God is unlimited and is perfect. In God there is no darkness or evil. God has only good plans for us. God is everywhere and is always present. In today’s passage Isaiah identifies the coming son as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” God incarnate, in the flesh, is all of this and so much more. In our times of indecision and struggle, God gives us wonderful counsel and guidance. In our times of weakness and uncertainty, God gives us mighty strength and holy wisdom. In our times of frailty and humanity, God reminds us that he who was and is and always will be is right there with us in that moment. And in the storms and valleys, God covers us in peace and hope and walks right there by our side.

Today we rejoice in our God who upholds and establishes us. Thanks be to our God who both reigns forever and is present right here in our hearts.

Prayer: Lord God, these titles that we find in Isaiah are so true in so many ways. Yet they are just a small part of who and what you are to and for us. Thank you for your total love and for your complete care for us, your children. Amen.


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Faithful God

Reading: Genesis 37: 12-28

Verse 28: “His brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt”.

A cruel and violent death is avoided – at least for now. The brothers avoid staining their hands with their own brother’s blood. Of the choice between two evils, they have chosen the lesser one. The brothers are twenty shekels richer and rid of their troublesome little brother. Joseph travels south, bound in chains, headed into a life of slavery. It is about as far away from spoiled favorite child as one could get.

Joseph has been separated from his family, but he is not all alone. Although he might have felt all alone as the caravan headed for Egypt, God was with him. God cannot control the decisions humans make or the emotions that drive those poor decisions, but he can work within situations to accomplish his plans. For example, instead of the brothers killing Joseph, along comes a caravan of merchants. Eventually it will be a severe famine that drives all twelve brothers back together again. God will continue to guide and bless Joseph, continuing to work good out of bad circumstances and situations.

This too is our experience when we are faithful and trusting in our God. When we allow God to guide our lives we will never walk alone. God will ever be at work to accomplish his good plans for us. Like it did with Joseph, sometimes life happens and we find ourselves on a road we did not choose to walk. But more often than not, we ourselves choose that other road. We choose the road that deviates from God’s plans. Yet even then God continues to walk with us, to work in our lives. God provides opportunities to return to walking with him. I may take road B instead of God’s road A. But down the line God gives me a chance to take road C or D or E – all of which lead back to God and his good plans for me. Yes, we are ever works in progress. God is a tireless and faithful worker. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Loving and faithful God, perhaps I deviate less that I used to. And for that I am thankful. (You probably are too!) Yet at times I still go astray, still choose less than the plans you have for me. Keep drawing me back, keep setting my feet upon your path. Thank you God for your love and faithfulness. Amen.


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Strong Faith

Reading: Exodus 1: 15-22

Verses 20 and 21: God was kind to the midwives… He gave them families of their own.

Shiphrah and Puah we’re very brave women.  They feared God more than they feared Pharaoh and they did what was right according to God instead of bowing to the king’s orders.  Pharaoh’s cruel and ruthless treatment of the Israelites had not curbed their growth, so Pharaoh goes one step further.

Pharaoh calls in Shiphrah and Puah and orders these two midwives to kill all make babies during birth.  These two women are told to murder the babies of their own people.  They have the power to carry out this cruel and hateful order.  Refusal to follow the order will probably not end well for these two midwives.  Pharaoh had demonstrated his evil and dark side in the harsh treatment of the Israelites and with this new order.  Fear and paranoia are clearly guiding his thought process.  It took quite a strong faith in God to choose to not follow Pharaoh’s newest order.

These two brave women are summoned once again when Pharaoh discovers that they are not killing the Israelite make babies during childbirth.  He asks them, “Why have you done this”?  They offer up a lie and Pharaoh buys it.  God protects them.  Because of their faithfulness, “God was kind to the midwives… He gave them families of their own”.  Shiphrah and Puah are looked on with favor because they chose God over the powers of this world.  In this high-stakes decision, they trusted in God and stayed strong in their faith.

Shiphrah and Puah are two of many women of strong faith in the Bible.  Ruth and Naomi, Rahab, Esther, Deborah, and the women who followed Jesus all the way to the foot of the cross are a few more examples of women of strong faith.  All of these women resisted fear and possible physical loss as they chose God’s ways rather than the ways of the world whatever the cost.  They are shining role models of strong faith who bear witness to God’s love and power.  May we follow their example, choosing what is righteous and godly above all else.  And may we have the courage and strong faith they demonstrated, not counting the cost but giving all we can for our God and King.