pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: hope


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Giving Thanks and Looking Forward

2015 ends today.  Tomorrow is the start of 2016.  Today is Thursday.  Tomorrow will be Friday.  In one sense, today is just another day.  While all this is true, there is still something special about the coming to the end of one year and the anticipation of a new year about to come.

People often celebrate at the end of the year.  As people of God we too should celebrate all that He has done to touch our lives in the past year.  As we look back over the year, may we offer our thanks to God for the guidance, blessings, and love He has poured out upon us.  May we also give thanks for the opportunities we have had to share His message and His love with others.  And lastly, may we give Him thanks for the times when His strength and love were all that carried us through.

As 2016 is about to dawn, we also must look forward to the new year.  We wonder what all God has in store for us.  We wonder how and where we will grow in our relationship with God and anticpate the ways He will use us in 2016 to be His light and love and hope in our world.  May we enter into the new year as eager disciples, seeking to draw ever closer to God in our walk of faith and seeking to be ever more like Jesus in our walk in the world.

Scripture reference: Psalm 147: 12-20


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Christ’s Peace

“And he will be their peace.”  Many people in our community and around the world would love for peace to reign in their lives.  People do not expect life to be perfect.  We all know life naturally has its ups and downs, its joys and trials.  But people need peace in the midst of it all.  People need a rock upon which to weather the storm and also upon which they can share their joys with others.  People need Jesus.

Micah spoke to a people in the midst of a trial.  It was one of many times that the people of Israel had turned from God and were feeling the consequences of their choices.  Yet even in the midst of this trial, God was present.  He was never gone.  The people waited and longed for God to act and restore them.  God remained their hope and peace.  Knowing that made the trial endurable because there is light at the end of the tunnel.  No matter how far away, light is still there.

Jesus himself offers this same light.  As His time on earth drew near to a close, He offered these words to His disciples: “My peace I leave you.”  He knew the struggle ahead as they adjusted to His physical absence.  Jesus also knew the light was coming.  He knew this peace would be restored with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ promise of peace is to us as well.  We can claim this peace as His followers.  His promise was not short-term, but to the end of this age.  Many in our worlds are seeking peace.  As His followers, we are called to share this peace.  As Christ reigns in our lives, may we allow His light and love to shine forth, bringing Christ’s peace to those in need.

Scripture reference: Micah 5: 2-5a


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Listening and Seeing

The prophet Micah is like all of God’s other prophets.  He speaks the word that God gives him to speak to the people.  While much of the time the prophets are warning the people of the consequences of their sins and calling them to repent, sometimes the prophets also spoke of the hope in and the promise of God’s faithfulness.  Such is the case with our passage today from Micah.

Since the life of Jesus, Christians read this section of Micah like many other prophecies found in the Old Testament.  As Christians we read the Old Testament not only as the history of the people of Israel and our faith, but also as a book that points to the New Testament and ultimately to Jesus.  When Micah writes of a leader who will come out of Bethlehem and speaks of him as one who will shepherd the flock, our mind immediately links up with the story of Jesus’ birth and life.  Micah also connects Jesus to long before His birth – “whose origins are of old, from ancient times.”  These words echo the message we find in the opening lines of John’s gospel.

The prophets, Micah included, also always provide hope and remind us to believe in the promises of God.  God is always at work in our lives and in our world.  In hard times that can be difficult to remember.  But Micah reminds us of the promises and that in hard times we most need to rely on God’s presence and call upon His strength.  Micah also reminds us that we must seek God’s word and see God in our daily experiences.  This day may we have a heart that listens and eyes that see God.

Scripture reference: Micah 5: 2-5a


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Faithful Trust

Love and faith seem to conquer fear.  Isaiah writes, “I will trust and will not be afraid.”  There is an implication here that we can simply choose to not feel fear by placing our trust in God.  If you follow this logic out, we get to a place where fear and faith are almost opposites.  For some, this raises the question: does having fear exhibit a lack of faith?

To me fear is an emotion.  It is our natural reaction to coming upon a snake in the tall grass.  But it is also our concern or worry about having enough money or whether or not we will get into the ‘right’ school.  Like all emotions, we cannot banish fear or worry.  But we can choose what to do with them and how much power we will allow them to have.

In this discussion then, faith is an action or a verb.  When we feel fear or worry we can choose to engage or employ our faith.  Like the Israelites in exile, they could place their trust in God and live this way, or they could allow fear to rule.  In faith we too can choose the saving power and authority of God.

When we choose to be faithful, we can see and experience the Spirit’s power and presence in our lives.  In faith we can face our fears or even the unknown and know that God is our hope, our salvation, our rock.  In belief and with faith, we know that no matter what, God is for us and will remain present to us.  We can live with His promise: fear not, I am with you.

Scripture reference: Isaiah 12: 2-6


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Past, Current, and Future

After a period of silence, Zechariah can again speak.  Filled with the Holy Spirit he begins to share a prophecy about his son John.  In his prophecy he connects the past and the future.  Zechariah begins by recalling God’s mighty acts in the past.  He tells of God’s redeeming acts, of the prophets God sent to guide and lead the people, and of God’s rescue of the people from their enemies.  Zechariah ties all of these acts into the old covenant.

In remembering God’s mighty acts Zechariah reminds the people and us of who God is.  He reminds them and us of God’s faithfulness by recalling all of the ways that God has shown love to His people.  Zechariah is building up the base knowledge so that it can be the foundation of the future.  It is reassuring and it provides hope for the future.  It reminds the people and us of who we are in God.

In Advent we wait with longing and expectation for the coming of Christ.  There is definitely a future aspect to Advent, yet it is also rooted in the past.  Our current and future hope rests upon Jesus.  It is surely built upon the foundation of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.  His free gift of eternal life and the unending forgiveness of our sins provides our hope and lays out our future.  Because of His great love we can now live free from captivity to sin.

Our future and our eternity is also with Jesus.  We live here and now looking forward to and longing for the moment we see Jesus face to face.  This day and every day we live fully in His promises and also awaiting the fulfillment of His promised return.  Our foundation is sure in Jesus.  Our day today is secure in His hands. Our future rests with Jesus as well.  Thanks be to God.

Scripture reference: Luke 1: 67-75


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God’s Presence and Promise

Jeremiah was writing from a prison cell.  At times he must have felt like the situation was hopeless.  Yet in the midst of this bad situation, he heard God’s promise to send a just and righteous ruler to lead Israel.  In his time of trial, God brought Jeremiah a word of hope.

As Advent nears, our longing builds for the coming of Christ, which we celebrate on Christmas Eve.  Advent calendars count down the days for children and visions of school vacation and presents dance in their heads.  To be honest, as adults we looked at the vacation schedule long ago as we too anticipate some time off.  But it is also undeniable that as we wait, in Advent, the longing builds within us for the night to arrive when we all gather together, when we sing the familiar songs, and when we celebrate our Lord and Savior’s birth.

While almost all have a sense of waiting, many feel this sense of longing as well.  But for some, there is also a sadness hanging over this season of joy and hope and love.  If within the last year trauma or loss has occurred, then the Advent season brings struggle as well.  If it is the first Christmas after the loss of a loved one or after a divorce or job loss or after a serious illness, then there is pain, grief, and hurt as well.  In these times and with these emotions, God can feel distant.  It is important for those struggling to be reminded of God’s presence and His promises.

For some battling these sad emotions, they can connect to God and find hope and love and peace.  For those that are struggling may we be aware and may we find ways to come alongside them and to bring God’s presence and promises to life through our words, actions, and presence.

Scripture reference: Jeremiah 33: 14-17


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The Power to Save

Today is All Saints’ Day, a day we remember the faithful who have died in the past year.  For our church, twenty pictures will be shown and twenty names read.  With the reading of each name we will remember the grace, faith, and love that each person shared with their life.  We will recall how we ministered and witnessed alongside each as well.  And we will again celebrate the victory won by each through their saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Today’s reading is the story of Lazarus.  Jesus arrives late at the scene – four days after he has died.  Mary, Martha, and many family and friends are grieving.  Mary voices what many are thinking, “If only you’d arrived sooner.”  They believe Jesus could have healed him.  Jesus is touched deeply.  He cries for his friends and is moved to do something extraordinary.  Jesus raises Lazarus to life.  Was it to alleviate the intense sadness felt by all?  Was it to give a glimpse of the victory to be won over death in Jesus’ resurrection?  Was it both?

On this day and in this story we are reminded that Jesus is there with us in our lives.  He cried and hurt for his friend Lazarus and for those who grieved for him.  In our grief He hurts right along with us as well.  We are also reminded that death does not have the last word.  For all the saints we recognize today and one day for us as well, Jesus has the power to save.  May we too all one day hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” as we each experience Jesus’ victory over death.

Scripture reference:  John 11: 32-44


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Hold Onto God

A famine at home forced the family of four to move to a foreign land.  They left behind their kin, the culture they knew, their faith base, and all else that mattered to find food.  The family made the move to survive, to be in a better situation.

In smaller ways we do this all the time.  We make a little change here or there seeking to be happier, healthier, or somehow better off.  Sometimes we too make larger changes.  Maybe you have moved to a new city or state or even country to have a better ‘opportunity’.  If you have done this, you can relate to this family – strangers in a foreign land.

Just as they were getting settled, the father dies. The mother at least has her two sons.  They each eventually marry a foreign woman.  The sons are happy and the possibility of grandchildren may some day bless her life.  Slowly the foreign land becomes les foreign as they learn the ways and begin to put down roots.  Ten years later, no grandkids.  Both boys die.  She is left with just two daughters-in-law.  And more pain and loss.

Perhaps a change you have made did not work out either.  Maybe the job wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  Maybe something outside of your control changed your situation too.  Maybe like you, this woman found herself in a tight spot.  Virtually alone in a foreign land, she turned to her foundation, to God.  In Him she laid her trust.  In Him she laid her future.  Although tragic to this point, it is just the beginning of her story.  In the end it is a story of God’s blessings.  Hold onto God.  He wants to bless you too.

Scripture reference: Ruth 1: 1-5


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Faith and Mystery

The book of Job has a happy ending.  Job’s suffering ends and God restored him beyond all he had before.  Job is blessed with large herds, many sons, and beautiful daughters.  He lives for 140 years as a very blessed and dies full of life.  One could say all ends well but our questions are left unanswered.  We do not know why Job had to endure this trial.  We do not know Job’s take on what happened either.  In the end we see that God remains mysterious.  For our faith, this mystery is essential.

Try as we might, mankind cannot explain all that is in the world.  There is much that has been figured out but we only seem to be able to go so far.  Great minds have studied and observed and analyzed and calculated to learn much.  We can split atoms and see far into space.  We can trace the evolution and extinction of many species.  We can replace hearts and we can restart hearts.  Yet there is much that cannot be explained by scientists, doctors, mathematicians…  Events and things that happened and happen remain a mystery.  In our world miracles still occur and a shrug of the shoulders is the best explanation that can be offered in intelligent response.

There is still mystery to God as well.  There are may questions that cannot be answered.  The ‘why’ questions of life and death and illness remain as do the ‘how’ of miracles that occur.  There is much we do not know of God.  But there is also much we do know.  God is love, compassion, peace, comfort, understanding, forgiveness, mercy, grace.  He has plans for each of us and those plans are good.  Yet there is still much mystery and this is also good.  Faith and hope are still required of us in our relationship with God.  Faith draws upon trust and experience.  As we live out this life in relationship with God, our faith grows.  In faith and hope, we live with the mystery of God because above all else, we know that God is love.

Scripture reference: Job 42: 10-17


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In Lament

We find great comfort in the past.  Through our own experiences and through what we read in the Bible we gain both an understanding of God and of our relationship with Him.  We live day to day with these memories as both our guide and our support system.  We know God to be loving and caring and protecting and compassionate.

But sometimes in life we suffer and suddenly our God memories don’t seem to work.  We experience discord when we are in conflict or in the midst of a life change or in the woes of a loss and the God we know seems absent.  In this uncertainty we cry out to God.  We bring our laments to God as a means of reminding God that to us, at that moment, He is not the God of love and care and,,, that we know.

In lament we also bring before God the suffering and pain of others.  We lift up their need for God’s presence and intervention and we demand an answer or action on God’s part.  In a sense we proclaim the suffering and hurt in the world to God so that He will act on it and be present to those in need.

In lament we remind both God and ourselves that He is the one who saved us from the powers of sin and death through Jesus and that He is the one we, His children, look to for our deliverance.  Reminding God calls Him to action.  Reminding ourselves brings reassurance and a reminder that although we may not know or see the plans of God, all is in God’s hands.  In this we lay our trust and our hope.  God is love.  God is faithful.  For these things, we say thanks be to God!

Scripture reference: Psalm 22: 9-15