pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: plan


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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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God’s Goodwill and Plan

Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:7 – “We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace.”

Verses 3-6 speak of God choosing us. This choosing is rooted in God’s “goodwill and plan.” At the beginning of time as we know it, God created humanity in the image of the divine and appointed humankind as stewards of creation. A partnership, a relationship – this has always been God’s good plan for all of humanity. This intimate connection with God calls us to be “holy and blameless.” This calls requires us to surrender our life to Christ’s will and way so that we can become “adopted children,” becoming like Christ in every way that is humanly possible. At its simplest, this comes down to loving God and one another just as God first loved us.

Part way through verse 6 the focus shifts to grace and forgiveness. Because we are human, at times our flesh leads us away from our relationship with Jesus Christ and into temptation and sin. At all times, God is ready to redeem us. Verse 7 speaks of this truth: “We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace.” Ransomed – the atoning price for our sins has been paid. Forgiveness – our sins are no more. This has always been God’s design. At just the right time, God in the flesh made the sacrifice required to redeem all the world.

The last five verses shift to an eternal reality. At the end of this present age – “the climax of all time” – Christ will bring all things together in the new heaven and earth. This is our inheritance. It first comes through belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is then sealed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The forgiveness and redemption founded on God’s love will one day lead us to our true and eternal home. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your plan that seeks to include us all. Thank you for the wooing and pursuing that draws us into relationship with you. Thank you for the steadfast love and for the indwelling presence that strengthens and deepens our relationship with you. Thank you for the grace, overflowing and unending, that brings us back into right relationship again and again, redeeming us from ourselves, returning us to who you designed us to be. Thank you for your great love for us all. Amen.


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A Plan Unfolding

Reading: Luke 1:68-75

Luke 1:69-70 – “He [God] has raised up a mighty savior… just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.”

By nature we are social beings. We were created by God to be in community. While each of us enjoys some solitude from time to time, we crave human interaction. A large part of this involves expressing ourselves, our thoughts, our emotions. The average person does this mainly through speaking about 10,000 words a day. Imagine being silent for a few days. For me that would soon begin to feel like a heavy weight. What would that feel like for you? Now, imagine being silent for nine months.

As we turn to Luke 1:68 today, Zechariah begins to speak for the first time in nine months. He had been struck mute by God about 840,000 words ago. Zechariah did not believe the angel Gabriel when he told the old priest that was having a son. The angel told him that his son would “bring many Israelites back to the Lord.” What news to share! But he cannot. After all of this silence, what are Zechariah’s first words?

Zechariah first announces that the words of the prophets from long ago have been fulfilled. A Savior has been born! The priest turned prophet tells the people that God has remembered the covenant and will rescue Israel “from the power of our enemies.” Recalling the times in exile and in the wilderness, those enemies were mostly within – selfishness, greed, idolatry. As we continue tomorrow, Zechariah will next speak of the role that his son, John the baptizer, will play in God’s unfolding plan. The unfolding plan continues today. You and I are a part of that plan.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for remembering your covenant and setting in motion the redemption of all of creation. Thank you for sending the one filled with the spirit of Elijah to prepare hearts to receive your son, the Savior. Lord, fill us with the Spirit’s power, using us today to call people to change hearts and lives. Use us to call people to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Worthy with Christ

Reading: Colossians 1:10-14

Colossians 1:10-12 – “We’re praying this so that… being strengthened through his glorious might… you endure everything and have patience, and by giving thanks with joy.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

We back up a bit in Colossians 1 today, looking at the prayer that leads into yesterday’s hymn of praise. The prayer begins with Paul asking God to help those in these churches to “live lives worthy of the Lord.” This is an expression that Paul and other New Testament writers used frequently. It was a call to live like and act like and speak like and treat others like Jesus did. While there was and is an understanding that one could never be exactly like Jesus because he was perfect, the charge was and is to get as close as possible. This idea reminds me of the 90’s, when many aspiring basketball players wanted to play and be like Michael Jordan. Athletes worked hard at emulating the six time NBA champ’s moves, style… Although no one is or was exactly like Christ (or MJ) many have and do walk faithfully in his footsteps, bearing fruit and growing in faith.

Daily faithful living creates a connection with Jesus that becoming sustaining, yielding what Paul prays for. Through the Spirit of Christ within us, we receive strength from Jesus. This strength empowers us to endure and to have patience. When our faith places us in a difficult spot or leads us into a hard situation, we do have to endure at times. In these times, this strength brings us a patience to endure, trusting as God leads and guided according to God’s plans and purposes. When we are faithful, striving to live a life worthy of Jesus’ example and teachings, then his strength helps us through. Often, from the other side of the trial or suffering or…, we can look back and see how God in Christ was at work in our lives. This usually leads to joyfully giving thanks to the one who is faithful and true. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, in our day we don’t face the same persecution and threats that Jesus’ first disciples faced. But our culture, with its focus on power over and on personal gain, creates at least as great of a challenge to faithful living. So Lord we ask for strength and endurance and patience. Help us to be faithful in this secular, selfish world. Amen.


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A Long Line

Reading: Ephesians 1:11-23

Ephesians 1:13 – “You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation.”

Photo credit: Anne Nygard

Paul first reminds us in today’s passage that we who believe have “received an inheritance in Christ.” Paul sees this outcome as a part of God’s plan for all people. If God were to have God’s way, all people would be disciples of Jesus Christ. That is God’s plan for all people as we are created in the womb. But we do have a choice in the outcome. Sometimes people choose to live by their own way and not God’s way.

For those who have chosen God’s way, choosing to follow Christ, we are called to bring God glory through the living out of our faith. We do this by living as Christ lived. In this living we take our place in a long line of disciples who have shared the faith with others. On this All Saints’ Day we recall those who have lived as Christ, teaching and modeling for us what living a life of faith looks and feels like. In turn, we teach it to and we model it for others – in our homes, in our church, in our workplace, in our community…

We can do so because we have “heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation.” Accepting this good news we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Paul describes this constant presence of the Spirit as a “down payment on our inheritance.” This is a foretaste of being in glory in eternity. The Spirit in us keeps us connected to God. Deposited in our hearts, we are empowered by God. Through this power at work in and through us, we can pass on the faith to others, to the next generation of saints. May it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, today we pray for one another as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus. Lord, give us “a spirit of wisdom” so that we can know you more and more. Open the “eyes of our heart” so that we can live out the hope that we find in Christ Jesus. Lead us to spiritually kneel before Christ, the head of all things. Amen.


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Live Righteously, Even When…

Reading: Habakkuk 2:1-4

Habakkuk 2:3 – “There is still a vision for the appointed time; it testifies to the end; it does not deceive.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

In the remainder of Habakkuk 1, God responds to Habakkuk’s complaint about justice being warped. This response does not ease the prophet’s level of lament and concern over the current situation. In fact, it heightens the prophet’s angst. Habakkuk really questions how a good God could use an evil foreign nation to end the injustice and idolatry of Judah.

Turning to chapter 2 today Habakkuk declares, “I will take my post.” Using the familiar image of a watchman, the prophet lets God know that he will stand guard, keeping watch, listening for God, seeking God’s next response. There is a resolve here, built upon a trust in God. Habakkuk expects God to answer. Considering that God’s last response was the opposite of helpful, this resolve is remarkable.

Starting in verse 2, God does respond. So true are God’s words, God instructs the prophet to clearly write this vision to come on a stone tablet. In verse 3 we read, “There is still a vision for the appointed time; it testifies to the end; it does not deceive.” God has a plan. The plan will unfold in God’s time, according to God’s will, way, and purpose. The plan has an end-game nature to it and God has a 10,000 foot picture to the plan. This is God’s word, therefore it will not deceive.

God then reminds Habakkuk that some (most?) people desire “truly audacious” things. There will be these folks in this present age. But the righteous, God says, they “will live honestly.” They will trust in God as they wait upon God’s word. They will live righteously, assured of God’s plans and purposes, even when they are not yet clear. May this too be our walk of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, in moments of lament, in times of suffering or angst, it can be hard to wait upon you. Patience and trust can be elusive. When we find ourselves there, Lord speak into our hearts and minds. Through the Holy Spirit, build our trust, bolster our faith, deepen our resolve. Thank you for your faithfulness, O God. Amen.


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God’s Intended Creation

Reading: Psalm 65:9-13

Psalm 65:13 – “The meadowlands are covered in flocks, the valleys decked out in grain.”

Psalm 65 is a song of praise for God’s works. The portion that we read today celebrates God’s provision to the people of the earth. In verses 9-10 the psalmist rejoices over how God brings abundance to the earth through the “rain showers” that enrich the earth and provide grain for the people. From what was chaos in Genesis 1, God has ordered and shaped creation in ways that express God’s love to all of God’s children.

Moving into verses 11-12 we see that it is God’s goodness that creates this overflowing abundance. God provides because God is good. God’s goodness is so graciously given that even the desert is “dressed in pure joy.” This goodness and blessing extends even more to the valleys and meadowlands tended by God’s people. Of these we read, “The meadowlands are covered in flocks, the valleys decked out in grain.” This provision yields a joy that expresses itself in songs of praise to God.

As I read these verses, I think that all of creation and all of humanity should be greatly blessed with all that we need. This is clearly God’s intent for the world that God designed and created. The hard reality, though, is that there is a great wrench that “we” have thrown into God’s plan. Greed and selfishness and the desire for power have twisted God’s plan and design. A very small few are greatly blessed in all ways. And while a good chunk in the middle are doing okay, a too-large group struggles daily for food, shelter, and security. How can we, as the people of God, move our world closer to what it was created to be?

Prayer: Lord God, likely as we read this we sit in the middle group – comfortable enough in life that it can feel okay to ignore those other groups. But, Lord, you call us to more. Awaken in us your spirit of generous abundance for all of creation. Move us to be people who speak and act in ways that bring about your intended world. 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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A Choice

Reading: Psalm 138:13-18

Psalm 139:16 – “On your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me.”

Returning to Psalm 139 today we read verses 13-18, a most personal and intimate look at our relationship with God – should we choose it. Whether or not one is currently walking with God, these words are true. Each and every one of us, no matter our ethnicity or vocation or gender or place in life or place of birth or anything else, each was “knit together” by God in the womb. Each of us was “marvelously set apart” – each formed and shaped by God in our own unique ways.

As God wove and weaves each human being together, there was or is a plan and a purpose in God’s mind. To this one that gift was given and to that one this talent is given, each to play a role in the building of God’s kingdom. Each of us was and is seen and known by God. Because of this love and knowledge, “on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me.” Here is where we have a choice. Here is where free will can thwart God’s plan. This is possible because God loves us. We were created this way by God.

The divine within some leads them to be good and kind and merciful and loving in places where Christianity isn’t even known. The human within some leads them to be evil and cruel and oppressive and hateful in places where most folks claim to be “Christian.” The Spirit of God – whether know by this name or as our conscious or as another force – this Spirit speaks into all people’s heart. Again, here we have a choice: to listen and obey or to ignore and deny. No matter one’s choice, though, God remains loving and present. Oh what great love God has for each and every one of us!

Prayer: Lord God, you create us just as you want us to be. You have plans and a purpose for us, just as you want it to be. Open our hearts to hear and follow where you lead and guide, just as you want it to be. Walk with us daily, living out your incomprehensible plans for us, just as you want it to be. Amen.


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A Good, Good Plan

Reading: Genesis 1:1, 27-28, 31

Genesis 1:31 – “God saw everything he had made; it was supremely good.”

As we consider and ponder this week’s theme of being restored and made new, we turn back to the beginning of it all. Because God is good, all that was created was good. As the creation process unfolds – water, light, land, plants, animals – God’s goodness can be seen in the order. Each next step dependant and built upon the step before. Turning to verse 27, God creates humanity. Humankind is created in the divine image of God. Connecting the dots, God’s goodness can be seen in humanity. We are born good. We have to be taught hate, prejudice, jealousy, pride…

God blesses the humans and then tasks them with caring for the creation. A good God charging good humans to care for a good creation – the plan as God designed creation. As the sixth ‘day’ of creation draws to a close, we read, “God saw everything he had made; it was supremely good.” In its original state, all of creation was simply good. One element provided for and cared for another, all in a good and healthy balance.

We turn here today because this was and is the vision for our world. One day this will again be the reality as God restored and makes all things new at the second coming of Christ. It is good to remember the plan of God, to know both the promise and the hope that we find in our good, good God. May this plan and vision ever guide our way.

Prayer: Lord God, your goodness is revealed to us in so many ways, but especially in creation. In the order and beauty and goodness of creation we see your plan for our lives. Lead and guide us to live into who and what you created us to be. Use us to begin the restoration process. Amen.