pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Where We Belong

Reading: Psalm 107:33-37

Verse 36: “There God brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.”

As we continue in Psalm 107 we find a sharp contrast in the two parts of our passage. In the first two verses there is an evil that leads to negative outcomes. In the last three verses this is reversed and good things come to the faithful. We are not sure exactly what this evil/good situation connects to – the flood? a failure in the wilderness? something else? In any event, as is often the case with the living word, we find application for our lives today.

In verses 33-34 there is a “wickedness” present. Because of this, the earth dries up and the crops turn to waste. That which once flowed with life is now dry and thirsty. At times and even in seasons our life can mirror this situation. Because of our sin or busyness or idol chasing we can find ourselves far from God. In this place our soul becomes dry and fruitless. We feel empty as nothing satisfies in this wasteland.

The scene changes drastically in verses 35-37. God’s blessings and presence once again flow as the parched land welcomes flowing springs. In turn, the crops and vineyards yield a plentiful harvest. A return to walking with God brings a blessing – “a city where they could settle.” When we choose to turn from wickedness, when we choose to walk in accordance with God’s will and ways, then our life becomes more abundant, more fruitful. Life is not perfect – there will still be trials and hardships and we will still stumble at times. But walking with God we find hope and strength, peace and forgiveness. It is where we belong. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, at times I do allow my faith to become dry, to become consumed by the things of the world. Help me to realize this more quickly, to turn back to you more promptly. Once there, Lord, lead and guide me by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep me true to you. Amen.


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Home

Reading: Psalm 107:1-7

Verse 6: “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

Psalm 107 opens with a call to give thanks to God because God is good and loving. And because God “redeemed [them] from the hand of the foe.” God most recently rescued them from exile and gathered the people of God back to Israel. Yes, this is a great reason to bring praise and thanksgiving to God. When has God redeemed or rescued you most recently from a time of exile or wilderness wandering? Pause and offer God a moment of praise and thanksgiving for God’s goodness and love.

Moving into verses 4-5 the psalmist details some of their struggles. The people wandered without a home. During the Exodus wilderness time and during the exile in Babylon, the people were without a true home. They were lost spiritually too, often quarreling with and questioning God. The sense of being without a home raises up insecurities and fears, leading often to an increase in feelings of hopelessness and despair. In the struggle it can feel like our life is ebbing away. This all can, in turn, lead us to a hunger and thirst for God’s presence in our lives. Pause and reflect on a time when you felt this way. When did you feel without a faith home, without an assurance of God’s presence in your life?

In verse 6 we read, “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” In their exile or wilderness or struggle, they got to the point of crying out to God. We too will reach that point. Our efforts have failed. Like it was with Israel, God will come in and deliver us too. God will help us back onto the “straight way,” rebuilding our relationship with and our trust and faith in God, bringing us back home. God is good and loving. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you are faithful and true, loving and forgiving. Time and time again I have cried out to you. Time and time again you are right there, becoming present to me in the exile or wilderness, walking with me through the struggle. I beg you to continue to walk with me as I desire to walk with you. Amen.


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The Way to Abundant Life

Reading: Psalm 106:1-6 and 19-23

Verse 6: “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”

Psalm 106 begins by praising and giving thanks to God because God is good and because God’s love endures forever. To praise and give thanks to God for these things is something that we should do every day. The psalmist then notes that we are blessed when we “maintain justice” and when we “do what is right.” Living in alignment with God’s will and ways is a blessed way to live. This is the experience spoken of in verses 4-5. The people of God – when living as the people of God – they enjoy prosperity and joy. What blessing!

The Psalm suddenly turns in verse 6. It gets real honest. Here the psalmist writes, “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.” This is as true for us as it was for the psalmist. Humanity is prone to sin. Left unchecked by the will and way of God, we become selfish and greedy and prideful… We become the one on the throne or we try and surround ourselves with things that make us feel safe and secure. We seek to achieve and gather, these things soon growing into idols. It might not be a golden calf, but it is certainly as temporal and manmade.

We make idols and lose our way for the same reason that the Israelites did: “They forgot the God who saved them.” We do this when we fail to do what the psalmist prescribed in verses 1-6. Praising God for the love and blessings, living out God’s justice and righteousness, and frequently confessing and repenting of our sins – these are the antidotes to becoming selfish, greedy, prideful… This is the way to abundant life, both now and into eternity. May this be the way that we choose to live day by day.

Prayer: Lord God, forgive my wayward and selfish decisions and choices. Strengthen me to change, to grow less selfish and prideful. Replace these with your justice and righteousness. Open my eyes to your works, filling my heart with praise and thanksgiving – for your mighty deeds and for your gentle touches. All praise and glory to you, O God! Amen.


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Humility and Obedience

Reading: Philippians 2:5-13

Verse 8: “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!”

Our Epistle reading carries the title “Imitating Christ’s Humility” in my Bible. In verse 5 we are invited to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ. Then, in verses 6-11, Paul quotes an early Christian hymn that wonderfully describes Jesus’ humility and obedience. It begins with the reminder that Jesus laid aside infinite power and glory to become “nothing” as he took on “the very nature of a servant.” Jesus became human. Moving on we read, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!” Though excruciatingly painful, Jesus took the nails for you and for me. It was God’s solution to our arrogance and disobedience. Jesus lived out God’s plan for his life. Our call is to live with this same attitude.

Because Jesus was humble and obedient, God “exalted him to the highest place.” Jesus rose to resume his place at God’s right hand. In response to Jesus returning to this rightful place of power and glory, every knee should bow at his name and every tongue should confess, declaring that “Jesus is Lord!” That is the correct and just response. But because of our arrogance and disobedience, many choose not to make this declaration. This is a sad but real choice that many people make.

Paul encourages us to make a better choice. In verse 12 he urges us to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Faith is an ongoing process that involves a holy and revenant attitude towards Jesus as Lord. When in humility and obedience we choose to live this way, we experience God’s work in our lives and we live according to God’s “good purposes.” God has a plan for our lives too. Like Christ, may we choose to surrender our life to God’s good plan.

Prayer: Lord God, give me the courage to live counter-culturally. Give me the strength to choose humility and obedience in a world that preaches the opposite. And give me the power to live out your plans, revealing to the world that Jesus is indeed Lord of all. Amen.


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Transformed Not Conformed

Reading: Romans 12:1-2

Verse 2a: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Paul shifts gears as we turn to chapter 12. The last 4 verses of chapter 11 are a doxology. This closing prayer of praise to God wraps up the focus of the last few chapters and shifts our thinking to the “how” of living as a believer. Paul begins chapter 12 urging us to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Paul, as Jesus often did, is using an old word in a new way. To the Jews a sacrifice was the lamb or dove or grain or oil that was brought to the altar in the temple. Often blood was spilled and life was lost. In other sacrifices the offering was poured out or burnt upon the altar. There was a finality to each particular sacrifice.

Paul’s call is to be “living sacrifices.” This is an ongoing giving of self to God and to others. In Jesus’ language it is dying to self again and again in order to truly love God and neighbor. So, how do we place ourselves in a position to do this? We make the intentional choice to live according to God’s will and way. It’s not easy. The world is always tugging at us. For the daily battle, Paul offers this advice: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Winning this battle requires an intentional choice to say “NO” to the ways and norms of the world. Saying “no” to the world allows us to say “YES” to God’s transformation of our minds. This renewing of our mind is an ongoing process. Day by day it shapes us more and more into God’s image. It brings us closer and closer to understanding and then living out God’s “good, pleasing, and perfect will.” May it be so for us all each day.

Prayer: Lord God, we need you so much in this battle to transform ourselves into who and what you call us to be. The voice of the world is so loud and so convincing at times. Elevate the voice of the Spirit over this constant buzz. Hearing the Spirit more clearly, lead us to be transformed more and more into the image and example of Christ. Amen.


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Community and Unity

Reading: Psalm 133

Verse 1: “How good and pleasant it is when [all] people live together in unity!”

Photo credit: Jon Tyson

In Psalm 133 David writes about unity and community. As we begin, though, let us recognize that these concepts have changed a great deal since David wrote these words. Note the [ ] as a glaring example of the difference between who is in our circle and who would’ve been in our circle. In the NIV Bible I use at home, this verse read “when brothers…”. The online version attached to this devo uses “God’s people…” Our understanding of God’s idea of unity and community has been growing very slowly but steadily over the eons of creation. One day perhaps we will grow to love so completely that a circle isn’t necessary any more.

In our world yet today there is division, barriers, walls, brokenness, exclusion, and many -isms that work against true unity and real community. All of these things work against the kind of community that God in Christ spoke of and sought to live out. Modernizing David’s words to reflect this idea of a world without anything that divides us from one another begins to reflect God’s love for all of creation.

The Christian understanding of unity and community should align with Jesus’ words and prayer about “being one” as the body of Christ. In today’s Disciplines devotional Bishop Mokgothu said it this way: “Living together is not just convenient tolerance and political correctness.” This is surface level unity and community. Christ calls us to a much deeper and more authentic living out of community and unity. It begins with real relationships and true acceptance of one another. From there it extends to include the “other” – the poor, the disenfranchised, the vulnerable, the outcast, the lost…

When this is how we practice unity and how we live in community then we will also live into the words of verse 3b: “There the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” O Lord, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, your vision and plan for unity and community is beautiful yet is still unfolding. It is based on a love as pure and generous as your unconditional love. Work in my heart today, O God, pushing my understanding and my practice of who is welcome in my circle. Make my love more like your love. Amen.


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Well, have you?

Reading: Matthew 13:44-52

Verse 49: “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.”

Today we turn to 3 more parables. All 3 fall into the “kingdom of heaven is like…” category. Jesus continues to string together thoughts that paint a broader and deeper understanding of what God’s kingdom and our faith is like.

In our first parable Jesus compares faith to a treasure hidden in a field. Faith is often something that we “discover.” Suddenly one day we claim a faith of our own. In the parable a man finds it and in joy sells all that he has just to attain the treasure. In a like way we joyfully give up the things of this world – pride, greed, ego, possessions… – in order to attain a relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

In our second parable a merchant is searching. Perhaps at a point you were searching – looking for meaning and purpose beyond the simple things of this world. When you found it – your faith – you were willing to give up all else so that you could walk faithfully with Jesus.

And then the third parable. It gives meaning and even consequences to the first two parables. Jesus speaks again of a time when the good will be separated from the bad. The good – those who sold all that this world could offer, giving it all up to walk with Jesus – they will be saved. The bad – those who chose the things of this world – they will suffer in the eternal fires. And then Jesus asks the disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” Well, have you?

Prayer: Lord God, in the day to day, in the small things, I can struggle. Help me to choose you. It’s easy to get lost in what seems important at the moment – until I realize where it’s led. I’ve given all for you. Remind me again and again of this decision. Amen.


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Abundant Blessings

Reading: Genesis 24:34-38

Verse 38: “Go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.”

In a day and age when we fall in love and court and get married to that very special someone, the story of Isaac and Rebekah might be hard to wrap our heads around. It might feel impersonal. It might feel odd or even icky to seek a spouse from one’s own family. All of this is true. Yet this is not the story of Abraham working everything out. It is the story of God guiding and directing and providing for the continuation of God’s promises to Abraham and Sarah and to you and me.

God continues to be faithful, even when Abraham and Sarah fail to be faithful. God continues to work with their failures and imperfections, working out God’s plan in spite of human-made detours. God’s covenant love flows on, making a connection between Isaac and Rebekah.

Today’s passage is a retelling of the events that just happened. The back story and actual events happen in verses 1-33. We get the recap in today’s verses. The Lord has blessed Abraham abundantly and now has blessed his son Isaac by providing him with a wife. Things unfolded with God’s hand clearly guiding and directing things. This is the culmination of the servant’s oath to “Go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.” How could this not be God’s hand at work?

This same covenant love continues to be at work in the world and in our lives. God’s good plans and the fulfillment of God’s promises remain at work, inviting us to be a part of the plans and to partake in the promises. May we choose to walk in covenant love with our God, experiencing God’s abundant blessings as we walk faithfully and obediently.

Prayer: Lord God, I know that you have good plans for those that love you. I know that you have sealed our salvation through the blood of your only son. I know that your love pours out mercy and grace along with provision, guidance, and blessing. Lead me in a faithful and obedient walk day by day as I seek to dwell in your covenant love and in an everlasting relationship with you, my Lord and Savior. Amen.


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Even So

Reading: Psalm 13

Verse 3: “Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes.”

Psalm 13 begins with four sentences that all begin “How long…?” David is asking how long will this horrible situation last? How long will God take to bring relief, comfort, healing, resolution? Although we do not know if this is a personal prayer or a corporate prayer from David, we do know that we’ve prayed these “how long” prayers again and again, for ourselves and for others.

David continues in verse 3, writing, “Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes.” He is begging for, pleading for God to respond. He wants light to see the way through. We note that David is not praying for an answer already in mind. He is praying for God to light the way forward, trusting in God’s light and direction. The rest of verse 3 reveals the depth of the situation: “or I will sleep in death.” The end of the rope has been reached. The grip is failing. O God, answer!

Verses 5 and 6 are “even so” verses. The answer hasn’t come. He feels all alone. David cannot yet see the light. But even so he declares trust in God’s “unfailing love.” He rejoices in the salvation that he knows is secure. And David chooses to sing a song to the God who has been good again and again and again. As we wait upon the Lord may we do so with such trust and faith. From that place, may we praise our good, good God.

Prayer: Lord God, in moments when I cannot sense your presence, give me the strength to trust and the heart to praise you. When the dark feels too much, bring a sliver of light, prompting me to choose faith over fear. Amen.


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Sit Faithfully

Reading: Genesis 21:19-21

Verse 19: “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.”

Picking up again in Genesis 21, God acts on behalf of Hagar and Ishmael, making good on the promise given in verse 18. God opens her eyes to the provision of water. God blesses Ishmael with a skill to live in the desert and then leads Hagar to find him a wife, the next step in becoming a “great nation.”

We all find ourselves in the desert at times – fear rising up, feelings of loneliness and helplessness close behind. We too cry out to God. Our prayers are heard just like Hagar’s were heard. And God provided a way when there seems like there is no way. For Hagar and Ishmael the way was through and in their desert experience. With little or maybe no choice they walked forward into God’s good plans for their lives. Here is where we often struggle. Most of us are not slave girl single parents with no resources.

The abundance and blessings of our lives can get in the way of how God wants to open our eyes and of seeing how God is making a way. We just want to get out of the desert. We want the pain or grief removed. We want light to shine into our darkness. So we marshall our resources and head off on our own way. When God wants us to stay put in that desert place a bit longer, we try and make a way out. It is hard to trust God in these moments. Yet it is there that we likely will see the hand of God at work.

May we learn to sit faithfully in these places, assured that God is with us and is working for our good, confident in God’s love and care for us.

Prayer: Lord God, guide me to walk faithfully, to trust in your good plans for me, especially in those hard moments and places. When tried and true faith is needed, may I lean deeply into you. Amen.