pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: God


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Thanksgiving and Praise

Reading: Psalm 105:1-6

Psalm 105:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people!”

Photo credit: Pablo Heimplatz

Psalm 105 is a call to worship. Yes, it was a call to worship long ago for the Israelites. And it is a call to us today to worship God in the ways that we live out our faith in the Lord our God. The Psalm begins with this invitation: “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people!” There are three parts to this invitation. First, give thanks. Whether through prayer, a journal, or both, daily thank God for your blessings, large and small. This practice of gratitude is good for our soul. Second, call on God’s name. This could be calling on God’s name in prayers and petitions. And it could be seeking God’s guidance and direction in our lives. And third, witness to your faith. Share the story of what God has done and is doing so that others might be drawn to our Lord and Savior.

These basic invitations are echoed in verses two and three: Sing, give praise, rejoice in the Lord! In verse four we’re invited to pursue or seek God’s presence and strength. While God is ever present and ever willing to be a part of our lives, God will not barge in or force the issue. God waits for us to “open the door,” and then God enters in. Invite God in!

Verses five and six invite us into acts of remembering. These are both personal and corporate. Remember God’s wonderful and marvelous works in your life and in the world around you. Remember through thanksgiving and praise. Recall God’s acts of justice – in your life and in our world. Offer thanks and sing! And remember who and whose you are: “children of Jacob… chosen.” For our place in the family of God, may we lift a celebratory and joyous word of prayer or a song of praise to the Lord our God!

Prayer: Lord God, we pause and offer our thanks for all you do in our lives to lead and guide us, to strengthen and encourage us, to forgive and redeem us, to restore and save us. You are an amazing, awesome, wonderful God! Thank you for choosing us and for being our God. Amen.


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The Covenant Keeper

Reading: Psalm 105:7-11 and 45

Psalm 105:8 – “God remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded to a thousand generations.”

As we turn to Psalm 105 today and tomorrow, the focus is the covenant God made first with Abraham. This covenant was reiterated with Isaac and Jacob and has been passed on “to a thousand generations.” The covenant that God made with Abraham was not just about him. Abraham was a part of the covenant, yes, but the focus from day one has been the people of God.

God’s justice is the foundation of the covenant. At its core, God’s justice calls us to just living. This calls us to live in a right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. Living this way, we represent the covenant: God is our God and we are God’s people. The idea of covenant has been around a long time, likely even before Abraham. It is not unique to Israel. In all cases, at its core, covenant is meant to be a forever commitment.

This week’s Disciplines writer, Rev. Dr. Donna Giver-Johnson, notes that the word translated “to cut” is the root word of our word “covenant.” In ancient times, the two parties entering a covenant would cut an animal in half. They would then walk between the halves, symbolizing their offer to be slain like the animal if they did not keep the covenant. The writer of Psalm 105 echoes this deep level of commitment using phrases like “solemn pledge” and “binding law.”

In Genesis 15, in a vision that came just after establishing the covenant with Abraham, God passed between a cut animal, demonstrating God’s commitment to this covenant with God’s people. This established the fact that the keeping of the covenant is dependent on God alone, not on us. At just the necessary moment, God sent Jesus, the bringer and giver of grace. It is through God’s grace that we now live under the covenant. For this grace, we say, thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for being the covenant keeper. On our own we’d only be covenant breakers. Only through your love and strength can we begin to walk in covenant relationship with you and with one another. And only through your grace and mercy can we return to covenant relationship when we fall short or fail. Thank you, Lord, for walking with us. Amen.


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Calling Each by Name

Reading: Genesis 29:15-30

Genesis 29:20 – “Jacob worked for Rachel for seven years, but it seemed like a few days because he loved her.”

Today’s passage is one of deceit and dishonesty and it is one of love and commitment. In many ways the story is hard to read. It is set in another time and in a culture different from ours. Jacob has fled his home after stealing his brother Esau’s birth rite. He arrives at Laban’s house with absolutely nothing and is taken in by his uncle. Jacob becomes part of the family’s life. After working for a month with Laban and his servants, Jacob is asked what he’d like for his wages. He will work for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban agrees to a seven year term. It is love. In verse 20 we read, “Jacob worked for Rachel for seven years, but it seemed like a few days because he loved her.”

On the wedding day, there is a big banquet. Wine must’ve flowed freely. That night Laban slips Leah into the wedding tent – instead of Rachel. The “wedding” is consummated. In the morning the deceit is discovered. Laban glosses it over, saying, “Where we live…” It seems that here women have birth rites too. A betrayed Jacob agrees to work another seven years for Rachel, so great is his love for her.

While Jacob, Laban, and Rachel are the main characters, other women are named. And because they are named, they matter to God. Each will play a role in the unfolding story of Israel. As a group, they will birth most of the twelve tribes of Israel. Leah, the devalued one, will give birth to Jacob’s first four sons. This gives her value and worth. The servant girls – Zilpah and Bilhah – will bear Jacob six sons in total. By being named and included in the story, these women have place and worth too. In the messiness of this story, God remains at work, blessing and calling each by name. God does the same in our lives. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for seeing those that others often overlook or just treat as property or worse. Lord, help us to see with your eyes. Once seeing, O God, move our hearts to lift up and to give place and worth to all of your beloved children. Draw us together, then, as one in you. Amen.


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Focus on the Good

Reading: Matthew 13:36-43

Matthew 13:43 – “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their father’s kingdom.”

Moving forward and inside the house, the disciples receive Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the weeds. Jesus (and now the Holy Spirit) plants good seeds in the hearts of Jesus’ followers. The evil one plants bad seeds that produce weeds. At the end of this “present age” the angels will come and harvest from the world “all things that cause people to fall away and all people who sin.” For these people, there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in the “burning furnace” (hell.) “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their father’s kingdom.” The redeemed will exult in glory.

The disciples asked Jesus for an explanation because they did not get what he was saying. Jesus offers guidance and answers. At times we need guidance and direction. We don’t understand or we don’t know the next step to take. Jesus invites us to come to him, to ask him our questions. In prayer, we take them to the Lord. God responds to our prayers and through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, we grow in our faith and in our trust in God. As we grow in these ways, we will “shine like the sun” in this present age, even as we wait with longing for our final redemption. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, focus our hearts and eyes on you and on the good in our world. It can be easy to get distracted, to focus on the evil all around us. So, Lord, keep us out of the weeds. Lead us to focus on being the good in the world, on shining your light into this world. Amen.


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Benefits

Reading: Romans 8:12-17

Romans 8:14 – “All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters.”

In Romans 8:11, Paul reminded us that all who are led by the Spirit will one day be raised as Jesus Christ was raised – to eternal life. Turning to this week’s passage from Romans 8, Paul begins verse 12 with “So then…” Since the Spirit lives in us and promises us resurrection, Paul declares that we have an obligation. So then, that obligation is to live a certain way. It is not the way of selfishness and sin. This way of life leads to death, not to life. The way that leads to life is the way of the Spirit.

In verse 14 Paul states, “All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters.” To be a son or daughter is to have a place in the family of God. To have a place brings benefits, if you will. The primary one is God’s unconditional love. This no-matter-what love is what pours out grace when we fall short and it is the mercy that carries our sin far away, making us pure and holy in God’s sight. This love keeps God close to us at all times. God’s ear is attentive to our desires and God’s heart is attuned to our needs. And, oh yes, there is eternal life one day. For the God who loves us beyond our understanding, we offer our praise and worship today!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for taking us into your family. Thank you for a love that we cannot understand, but dwell fully in. And thank you for your Spirit’s guidance, presence, and direction. Amen.


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To Be So Bold

Reading: Psalm 139:23-24

Psalm 139:23 – “Examine me God! Look at my heart! Put me to the test. Know my anxious thoughts.”

Yesterday in Psalm 139, David acknowledged that God surrounded him always. There was never a time that David could escape from God’s presence. God was always with him. As we jump to today’s verses, it is almost as if David is challenging God. It is important to note that this comes after several verses where David has questioned why God has not killed off his enemies. At times I play this game too. God – look how faithful I am… Why don’t you deal with so and so?

In verse 23, David writes, “Examine me God! Look at my heart! Put me to the test. Know my anxious thoughts.” If I were to be so bold as to say these words to God, I’d bet there had been some pretty serious self-examination, followed quickly by some profuse confession and repentance. Then again, to be honest, I’d be surprised if the humility created by such an intimate and personal experience would allow me to be so bold with God.

To lay oneself bare before God, to invite God to examine and test and know me in a most personal way, this would certainly affirm my commitment to God. To go through this process periodically – maybe even daily – it is healthy and life-giving. May this be a regular practice for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, oh to be so bold as to invite such examination and evaluation. To have the faith to offer these words! Move me in this direction, O God, closer to honesty, closer to transparency, closer to authentic relationship. Amen.


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This Kind of Knowledge

Reading: Psalm 139:1-12

Psalm 139:3b – “You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.”

David begins Psalm 139 with a truth that applies to all of us as well: “Lord, you have examined me. You know me.” God knows when we come and go. God knows our plans. God studies our times of busyness and our times of rest. In the rest of verse 3 David writes, “You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.” Thoroughly familiar – that is a great term for how well God knows us.

To me, this thought is both incredibly comforting and it is incredibly disconcerting. God knows my best intentions and my worst thoughts. God sees my shining witness and my damning failures. God is always there, “front and back.” Yes, the psalmist is correct: “That kind of knowledge is too much for me.”

With this intimate knowledge in mind, David launches into a great set of questions and recognitions in verses 7-12. There is nowhere we can go to escape the presence of God. To heaven, to the far side of the ocean, to the deepest darkness? God is there in all of these places and everywhere in between. So in the moments when we need comfort, God is there. In the moments when we need strength, God is there. In the moments when we laugh and share joy, God is there. In the moments when Christ’s light and love flow out of us, God is there. This kind of knowledge is beautiful and wonderful and amazing. And it is for you and for me. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for being there. Yes, in the moments when I need you. But especially in the moments when I don’t think I need you and suddenly do. I find then that you’ve been there all along. You are an amazing and wonderful God. This knowledge is just what I need. Amen.


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Right Here with Us

Reading: Genesis 28:10-19

Genesis 28:15 – “I am with you now, I will protect you everywhere you go, and I will bring you back to this land.”

As we turn to Genesis 28, we do so with some context. Jacob has just stolen Esau’s firstborn blessing (with the help of his mother) and Esau is furious. He is ready to kill his brother Jacob. So Isaac sends Jacob away, back to the ancestral homeland to find a wife. As Jacob traveled it must’ve been scary and uncomfortable for him. Jacob was the “indoorsy”  brother. After traveling for a day, Jacob lays down, using a rock for a pillow. He is alone, vulnerable, and probably anxious.

In a dream, Jacob encounters God. He sees a staircase with angels moving up and down. And then God is there. In verses 13-15 God reiterates the promises made to Abraham and Isaac: land, numerous descendants, protection. All families on the earth will be blessed through Jacob’s family. Then, in verse 15, God says to Jacob, “I am with you now, I will protect you everywhere you go, and I will bring you back to this land.” Right here, right now, in this moment, God is there with Jacob.

As we journey in faith we too come to know that God is right here with us. In the times when we’re on the run, in moments when we’ve made bad choices, in all times good and bad – God is there with us. God walks with us, no matter what. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, when we find ourselves in the wilderness, remind us of your steadfast presence. Open our eyes and hearts as you did Jacob’s, meeting us where we are at, giving us what we need in the moment or situation. Thank you for always being there for us. Amen.


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Life in the Spirit

Readings: Psalm 119:112 and Romans 8:6-11

Romans 8:11 – “The one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through his Spirit that lives in you.”

Paul offers us a choice as we continue in Romans 8. We can choose to be selfish. This is our natural inclination. If this is the choice we make, we cannot please God. In fact, when selfish we become hostile to God, refusing to submit to the Law, to God’s will and way. Being selfish, we are consumed with ourselves and with what benefits us. Choosing this life leads to death. It is the choice many people make. It is the choice we make at times, even if we profess Jesus as Lord.

At the other end of the spectrum, we can choose life in the Spirit. This is a life of peace lived with a sense of belonging. We live as children of God who experience God’s righteousness through the Holy Spirit that lives in us. This leads us to seek to live within God’s will and way. This was the choice the psalmist made. The psalmist declares, “I have decided to keep your statutes forever, every last one.” In its simplest form this boils down to loving God with all that we are and loving neighbor as Christ loves us.

When we seek to live this way – led and guided by the Spirit living in us – then we experience life lived in right relationship with God and with all of creation. We come to know the truth of Paul’s words: “The one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through his Spirit that lives in you.” All of life is blessed, even the hard days, because Christ in Spirit is with us. Always. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, in the quiet early morning, it’s just you and me as I sit here at my desk. It feels easy to choose to you. Yet, this is not the normal reality. We live mostly in the world, where the choice to be selfish is elevated as the right choice. But you call us to be in the world, not of the world. Set us apart in spirit and in our daily living. May your love guide us and may your grace save us when we fall short. Amen.


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Faith in Difficulty

Readings: Psalm 119:109 and Genesis 25:19-26

Genesis 25:23a – “Two nations are in your womb; two different people will emerge from your body.”

In today’s verse from Psalm 119, the psalmist expresses a commitment to God’s will and way, even when life is unsure and feels unsafe. This is not always an easy thing to do. Too often we can try to take matters into our own hands. We then only turn to God when we have failed and/or made matters worse.

Turning to Genesis 25, we are reminded that Isaac and Rebekah were married. We recall that this marriage had God’s fingerprints all over it. The relationship felt blessed. But Rebekah is barren. Soon, Isaac begins praying to God about this concerning situation. This is a departure from his parents’approach. Sarah and Abraham took matters into their own hands, producing Ishmael. Because Isaac remains faithful to God during this difficult time, God is moved by his prayers and Rebekah becomes pregnant – 20 years into Isaac’s praying.

Rebekah’s pregnancy is not easy. There is violence within her womb. This is a foretaste of the unrest and conflict that will overshadow Jacob and Esau’s relationship. They are not the first brothers like this, nor will they be the last. Before them were Cain and Abel, then Isaac and Ishmael. Jacob emerged from the womb gripping Esau’s heel. He is already at odds with the customs of firstborn privilege. Tomorrow we will see how this plays out further, creating two nations.

Prayer: Lord God, at times things in this life can be challenging. Life can be hard and we can want a way out. In these moments, Lord, turn us towards you and not towards self. Remind us of the psalmist’s trust and of Isaac’s faithfulness. With these examples, may we seek your guidance, your plans, and your power and presence. Amen.