pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Good for Our Hearts

Reading: Jeremiah 31:10-14

Jeremiah 31:12 – “They will come shouting for joy on the hills of Zion, jubilant over God’s gifts: grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds.”

Photo credit: Eugene Zhyvchik

As we come to the end of the year, many will pause to look back over 2025, both for good and for bad. This review or assessment process prepares us for 2026. Some people will make resolutions, some will set goals, others will just ponder and reflect. This process often causes emotions to well up in our hearts. While some things are sorrowful, many others cause gratitude to rise up in our hearts for that special time with family, for that promotion, for that trip, for… It is good for our hearts to look back and to give thanks to God.

In today’s passage Jeremiah is giving thanks for something that God will do. The return from exile has not happened yet. In fact, Jeremiah will die in exile. Yet he praises God for what he trusts God will do. The prophet is sure that God will bring Israel home. He believes that God will deliver them. Jeremiah knows in his heart that “They will come shouting for joy on the hills of Zion, jubilant over God’s gifts: grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds.” Because Jeremiah knows that God is trustworthy and good and loving, he praises God for what he believes God will do.

Because God is good and trustworthy and loving, we too can pray for what we know God will do. A community of faith can pray for that just-right next leader. A church can pray for a family to become a part of their group so that there are young voices in church again. Another congregation can pray for affordable senior housing to become a part of their ministry. We can pray these things and others like them, trusting in our good and loving God, believing in where God is calling and/or leading us. And we give thanks for what God will do in and through our prayers. It is good for our hearts to look forward and to give thanks to God. May it be so for us all.

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice in your goodness and in your steadfast love for us. Your word tells us that you have good plans for those who love you. It is with this promise in our hearts that we rejoice in all that you will do in us, in our faith communities, and in our world. Thank you God for your faithful love. Amen.


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All We Need

Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Jeremiah 23:5 – “He will rule as a wise king. He will do what is just and right in the land.”

Photo credit: Hans Heiner Buhr

Chapter 23 of Jeremiah is titled “Promise of Restoration.” The promise begins with a warning and then adds God’s solution. In verse 1 the prophet declares, “Watch out, you shepherds…” Jeremiah is specifically referring to the kings of Judah but also to the religious leaders. While the king is ultimately responsible for the well-being of the people, the priests also had a prominent role to play in helping the people remain faithful to God. All of the shepherds, however, have become inwardly focused. Instead of tending to the needs of the flock, the selfish behaviors of the leaders has, in effect, “scattered my flock and driven them away.” God declares to these bad leaders, “revenge” is coming.

Verse 3 shifts leadership back to God. God will act, gathering the sheep, making them fruitful and numerous again. God will “place over them shepherds who care.” Under good shepherds, there will be no fear or worry. Needs will be met. All will be well cared for. Jeremiah’s words get more specific in verses 5 and 6. These messianic words point to Jesus, the one who will rule as a “wise king.” Guided by the Spirit, the wisdom from on high, Jesus’ kingdom will be one of justice and righteousness. He will offer salvation to all people.

When Jesus arrived in Israel, they needed a Savior. The people longed for someone to save them from the Romans. Jesus longed to save them from their sins and lack of abiding faith. Jesus taught and healed, inviting the people back into an intimate, dependent relationship with their God. He then died, offering self as the sacrifice, offering salvation to the world. This Jesus, he continues to save us from self and to give us all that we truly need. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, we can long for things we do not need. We can wish that you would wipe away our problems and our enemies. Remind us again and again that you love us so much. Remind us that you always provide just what we need. Help us to abide in you, trusting in your will and way. Open our eyes to see that your way is always the best way. Amen.


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There Is a Plan

Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4 and 2:1-4

Habakkuk 2:2 – “I will keep watch to see what the Lord says to me, and how he will respond to my complaint.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

The prophet Habakkuk receives a vision from God. He then has a dialogue with God that mostly centers on the age-old question: Why does God allow the righteous to suffer while the wicked prosper? Habakkuk wonders how and even why God would use Babylon as a part of God’s plan. This wondering leads the prophet to question how the righteous might face and live faithfully under evil’s domination.

Our reading begins with, “How long…?” This frequent refrain questions why God is not listening to Habakkuk’s cry for help. The violence, devestation, and injustices are all around. God’s instruction is ineffective. The wicked act unjustly, warping justice. From his human perspective, what is happening to Israel makes no sense. What is perhaps worse is the fact that God seems to be orchestrating all of it. At times we can feel this way too when we are in the midst of a season of trial or suffering.

Jumping to chapter 2, God has responded to Habakkuk and he has again questioned how a good and just God could use an evil, pagan nation to save Israel from its sins. Following this interchange, the prophet declares that he will wait for an answer. There is a trust in his decision. In verse 2 we read, “I will keep watch to see what the Lord says to me, and how he will respond to my complaint.” In spite of all that is going on around him, Habakkuk will wait for God to make sense of the present reality. God then offers a vision. There is a plan. Evil will not reign forever. God says to Habakkuk and to us, “wait for it; for it is surely coming…” God is in control. Trust God. And while you wait, God adds, “the righteous person will live honestly.” Even in the midst of evil and injustice, walk the walk of faith. Yes, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, when we find ourselves where Habakkuk was, deep in the valley, darkness and evil all around, remind us that you are forever and that you are in control. We know that you are eternally good and just. Help us to trust into, to lean into, to live out these truths. Empower us to always be faithful to you alone. Amen.


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Wait For It

Reading: Lamentations 3:19-26

Lamentations 3:22 – “Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through!”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

Moving ahead two chapters in Lamentations, the voice we now hear is that of the writer. In the opening verses of chapter 3 he or she recalls how the fall of the city and the temple has personally impacted him or her. This is summarized in verse 19 where the author recalls suffering and homelessness as “bitterness and poison.” On the theological level these events and their outcomes are incomprehensible to the people of God. What has happened feels totally beyond God’s will and character. This disorientation is forcing new understandings of God and faith as God’s plan for Israel is being worked out in real time.

There have been times in my life and likely in your life when the difficult time itself has ended. As the dust settles, so to speak, we can take a breath and look around. Hopefully, like the author, we wait. We wait to see what’s next. In Lamentations 3 the waiting begins with this thought: “Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through!” Hope begins to rise up. The writer then remembers that God’s love and compassion are “renewed every morning” because of God’s faithfulness. Trust starts to rebuild as the author declares, “The Lord is my portion.” Hope and trust are present as the writer proclaims, “I’ll wait for him.”

In verse 25 we’re reminded that God is indeed good to those who “hope in him… who seek him.” To wait upon the Lord, to trust and hope in God’s plan for us – sometimes this is all we can do. Often it is what we should do. And this is good. The writer will wait in silence. This too is good. We can hear God better. Yes, the Lord’s deliverance is coming. May we wait for it.

Prayer: Lord God, after the immediacy of the trial or loss or suffering it can be tempting to do or say something. To do so feels like relief, like a return to life. But we’re often still scattered or we’re just groping for something we really can’t identify. In these moments, still our spirits. Calm our tendency to “do.” Guide us to wait upon you, to seek your voice and direction, to trust and hope in your great faithfulness. Amen.


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Take Hold of True Life

Reading: 1st Timothy 6:17-19

1st Timothy 6:17-18 – “Tell people who are rich… to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others.”

Photo credit: Shane

Continuing in 1st Timothy 6 today, Paul instructs Timothy on how to minister to those Christians who do have wealth, power, status… There were and are people that God has blessed with gifts and talents and legacies that has and have allowed them to be rich in the things of this world. Paul first addresses the dangers of this place in life. One can easily become prideful and arrogant. This often leads to isolating oneself from those who are seen as “less than.” From this place of heart and mind one can place their hope in their worldly riches instead of in God. Some falsely think, “Who needs God when I have all of this?”

Paul’s instruction to Timothy is this: “Tell people who are rich… to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others.” To do good and to be rich in good works is to engage the world around you. This counters the choices to isolate and to look down on those without wealth, power, status… To do good for others draws us into relationship and here we find our commonality, which leads to unity. To be generous and to share what we have lifts up those without and it grows one’s compassion and empathy, deepening one’s desire to practice generosity. To do good and to be generous draws us closer to God and to one another.

In verse 19 Paul states that these actions lay a “good foundation for the future.” This foundation is an ever-growing compassion and love for neighbor and a continual growth in one’s relationship with God. Living out our faith in these ways allows us to “take hold of what is truly life.” This is loving God and neighbor with all that we have and are. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, lead us to be people of love and compassion. Guide us to people and places that need to experience these things. Open our hearts and hands to serve you through serving those in need. In these ways, use us to draw others closer to you. Amen.


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But as For You…

Reading: 1st Timothy 6:6-16

1st Timothy 6:11 – “But as for you, man [or woman] of God, pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.”

Photo credit: Caleb Jones

As we turn to 1st Timothy today and tomorrow, we see that idolatry is still a struggle for the people of God. The situation is no different today. In Paul’s day, false teachers were trying to get rich instead of trying to save souls. They bickered with one another because their motivation was selfish. In verse 7 Paul writes this eternal truth: “We didn’t bring anything into the world and so we can’t take anything out of it.” In Paul’s day, just as it is today, many who were trying to get rich were falling into all kinds of temptations. This sad reality leads Paul to this observation: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” We could easily substitute power, status, popularity… for the word “money.”

Starting in verse 11, Paul presents a different way of living. In this verse he commands Timothy (and us) to this way of living: “But as for you, man [or woman] of God, pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.” To live in the will and ways of God contrasts sharply with living in the ways of the world. Instead of seeking personal gain in many forms, a life of faith leads us to first love God and then to love neighbor. The focus on self is minimalized as we pursue righteousness, holy living… Paul goes on to encourage Timothy (and us) to “Compete in the good fight of faith. Grab hold of eternal life.” To live counter to our human tendency towards selfishness is indeed a fight. To give oneself in humble service to God and others – yes, it is a fight. But it is a fight that yields contentment in this life and joy in the life to come. May we daily choose to fight the good fight of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, so many voices, so many things tell us to gather, to hoard, to accumulate. Yet it is so clear that these behaviors do not bring peace or contentment or joy or anything else truly good to our lives. You alone are the giver of all that is truly good. Guide us, O Lord, to pursue you above all else, leading us to walk faithfully in your will and ways. Amen.


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The Condition of Our Heart

Reading: Romans 2:5-11

Romans 2:9 – “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil.”

Paul contrasts two kinds of living in today’s passage. First he addresses those who are “stubborn.” Their hard hearts refuse to change. They persist in doing evil. They are selfish and disobedient. God’s judgment will fall on these people. Paul writes, in verse 9, “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil.” Final judgement will come on “the day of wrath,” when the good and evil will be eternally separated.

Our passage also addresses the fate of those who do “patient good work.” Paul is not arguing for a works-based salvation here but is pointing out that the fruit of a heart set on God will be evident. Instead of trouble and distress, those whose hearts are set on God will experience “glory, honor, and peace.” On the day of judgment, the righteous will receive “immortality,” or the salvation of their souls.

Paul and most others in the Bible portray the choice between good and evil, between righteous and unrighteous living, in black and white terms. The reality, however, is that no one is good all the time or evil all the time. All of us certainly tend one way or the other. We are either seeking to follow Jesus and to reflect his will and way or we are living for self, reflecting the will and way of the world. In the end, all will face final judgment. As Paul writes, “God does not have favorites.” We will be judged by the whole of our life. This will reveal the condition of our heart. May our hearts be filled with love of God and neighbor.

Prayer: Lord God, in the daily walk of life, keep us focused on doing and being love in the world. May the world of our hands and the words of our mouths be pleasing in your sight. May our hearts reflect your heart for all of creation. Amen.


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Focus on the Good

Reading: Romans 16:17-20

Romans 16:19 – “But I want you to be wise about what’s good, and innocent about what’s evil.”

As Paul closes his letter to the Romans, he returns to a familiar topic: Christian unity. On one level, in our age where the church has split into literally 100’s of denominations, this passage applies to individual churches. Yet on the larger level I can’t help but think that all these divisions grieves the heart of God. At what point do genuine theological differences divide and at what point is it personal preference or opinion that leads to division?

Taking broad strokes today, Paul warns us to “watch out for people who create division and problems against the teaching you heard.” Paul is talking about a core set of theological understandings about Jesus and what it means to truly follow him. My mind goes to the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelets… that we used to wear. This question still makes a great filter for Paul’s warning. Paul continues to advice concerning these folks, writing, “Keep away from them. They are serving their own feelings.”

We all know and see people and leaders who regularly choose selfish ambition over humble service to the common good. We see people in positions of power using “smooth talk” to justify the things they are doing and saying that would make Jesus cry and weep if he were present today. In the midst of all this Paul turns to the individuals that make up the church, saying, But I want you to be wise about what’s good, and innocent about what’s evil.” In the midst of a world focused on self, you focus on the good. Love God and love neighbor. Let that be your guide. Be well aware of the evils and stay innocent of these things. And trust. Yes, trust that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan.” Lord Jesus, come soon. Come soon.

Prayer: Lord God, as churches and as believers, we have so much in common in our theologies and understandings. Use these primary matters to create more unity in the family of God. Help us to understand that secondary and tertiary matters do not have to divide us. Lead us to make better choices, to model Jesus’ love better. Gather your church to be the witness that you desire us to be. Amen.


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A Good Shepherd

Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12 and 20-31

Ezekiel 34:27 – “They will be safe on their fertile land, and they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke.”

Photo credit: Ronnie Khan

Chapter 34 begins with the denouncement of Israel’s current leaders. What was the case before exile has continued in exile. God through Ezekiel pronounces doom on these poor leaders for living in luxury while ignoring the weak, the sick, the injured, the strays, the lost. There are many injustices so the flock scattered and then became prey. God promises to hold these bad shepherds accountable.

Beginning in verse 11, God offers the remedy. Here God proclaims: “I myself will search for my flock and seek them out… I will rescue them…” God will gather the scattered and care for the weak, the sick, the injured… As we continue in our reading we see that God will judge between the “fat and lean” sheep – between those living in luxury and those who struggle to survive.

God promises restoration, a new era. A David-like ruler will be appointed and a new covenant of peace will be established. Rains of blessing will pour down. Oppression and injustice will be no more. In verse 27 we read, “They will be safe on their fertile land, and they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke.” Without the yoke of oppression and injustice, there will be peace. There will be no famine; there will be no disgrace.

While the bad shepherds ignored these words of judgment, these words would offer great hope to the weak, the sick, the injured… to those living on the margins and edges. These words feel very relevant today. As injustices scatter people, as oppression sits heavy on others, as callous acts increase hunger, the people of God long for a good shepherd – not just for ourselves but also for the least of these among us. God’s children long for the rains of blessing and for a time of peace and grace. O God, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you’ve always, always, always had a heart for the weak, the sick, the injured… You’ve always, always, always called for the faithful to join you in your care for the least of these. Lord, bridge the huge gulf between our reality and your preferred future. Use us to be a part of that bridge, each in our own ways caring for the weak, the sick, the injured… for the scattered and the oppressed. Amen.


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Shepherd of the Flock

Reading: John 10:11-16

John 10:14 – “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me.”

Photo credit: Patrick Schneider

In the agrarian society of Jesus’ day, he often spoke in ways that connected to this reality. Sheep in particular are a common subject in Jesus’ teachings. He comes by this naturally. In tomorrow’s reading God identifies as “the good shepherd” too!

For the most part, Jesus attracted a crowd from the lower levels of society. “Blue collar” folks and people who lived on the edges were drawn to Jesus. His normal audience would be familiar with his shepherd imagery. Jesus states two times in this passage that he is the “good shepherd.” In the first instance, he declares that he will “lay down his life for the sheep.” He will not run away because the sheep truly matter to him. He will face the cross.

The second time, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me.” Here Jesus is speaking into the intimacy between shepherds and their sheep. Sheep learn the voice of their shepherd(s) and will only follow the voice(s) they know. Jesus sets the example in the ways that he follows God’s voice. He calls his sheep to do the same. Jesus then reiterates the fact that he will give his life for the sheep. In this spirit we too are called to sacrifice for others.

Jesus then extends the circle to include those who are not yet following him. Here Jesus is referring to both Jews and Gentiles, which really is another way of saying “all people.” Jesus longs to be known by all people, to shepherd them in his love. One day, may this be so, O Lord.

Prayer: Lord God, you lead us beside still waters and into green pastures. You provide rest and you offer sustenance. You protect us and you guide us. When we wander, you find us and bring us back home. You gave everything for us and continue to do about anything to keep us in the flock and to add to the flock. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.