pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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The Saints!

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 2:9-13

Verse 10: “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.”

Today is All-Saints’ Day. This church holiday focuses on both the saints who have gone onto heaven and upon the saints who are still serving Jesus Christ here and now. Those who we can call “saints” run a wide gamut – from people like Mother Teresa and MLK, Jr., to people like your 3rd grade Sunday School teacher. There are a great many more saints that fall into the second category.

In our passage today Paul is writing to the church. He is talking about his ministry among them, not as a way to brag but as a way to remind and encourage. This is why we celebrate today’s holiday too. Paul begins by reminding them and us of the toil and hardship inherent in ministry. Ministering to others certainly has moments that are difficult and challenging. Next Paul unpacks the traits or characteristics of a minister of the gospel. It begins with how one conducts oneself: holy, righteous, blameless. He then moves onto the actions needed: encouraging, comforting, and urging the believers to “live a life worthy of the gospel.” This is, of course, circling back around to holy, righteous, and blameless. For Paul and for all other saints past and present, this life of faith is built upon the word of God. A close, personal, intimate relationship with God is the starting point for all believers, saints included.

On this All-Saints’ Day remember the saints who shaped and formed and walked with you in faith. Remember those who are living saints, still guiding you on your journey of faith. Bring your praise and thanksgiving to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the many saints that have blessed my life and encouraged my faith. Some led by example long before I was born. Others have poured into me in my youth and have passed on to glory. And others still lead and guide and walk with me in adulthood. We are a community, connected together with you and with one another, all for the building of the kingdom of God. Praise be to God! Amen.


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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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Praise the Lord!

Reading: Psalm 99

Verse 6b: “They called on the Lord and he answered them.’

As I read Psalm 99, two parts stand out to me. Parts of the Psalm speak of God’s character and this draws us to worship God. The other parts speak of God’s call upon our lives and of how this draws us into a relationship with God.

The psalmist reminds us that God is supreme over all the earth. He or she also reminds us that God is mighty and that God loves justice. Yet God is also a forgiving God. Yes, at times God has some consequences for our “misdeeds.” Because this is who and what God is, we are drawn to worship and exalt God. This is the entry point into a relationship. As our relationship with God begins we are able to call on our God who hears and answers our prayers.

The psalmist provides a few examples of those who called upon the Lord: Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. Before they could call on God, though, they too had to respond to God’s call on their lives. They had to accept the call and make the choice to enter into a relationship with God. The same God continues to reign over all of creation. As we experience God’s character in many different ways we too are drawn into relationship. As this grows we come to trust that God will answer our prayers and cries. This is because God is a God of relationship.

So today and every day may we humbly come before the almighty and all-powerful God of all creation, the personal and intimate God who wants to be in a relationship with each of us. Coming before God, may we worship and praise the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, in power and might you sit enthroned over the nations. In love and grace you reach out for a relationship. You are holy and righteous. And you want to walk daily with me, a sinner saved by grace. I am overwhelmed by your desire to be in this personal and intimate relationship with me. All I can do is praise and worship you for this great love. Thank you, God. 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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God at Work

Reading: Psalm 105:1-6 and 37-45

Verses 5 and 45: “Remember the wonders God has done… that they might keep God’s precepts and observe God’s laws.”

Our passage from Psalm 105 can be quickly summed up in these words from verses 5 and 45. It is about remembering and praising God for all that God has done. In turn, this leads us and strengthens us in our walk of faith. In the Psalm are examples of all that God has done. We too could and should make such a list that details our faith journey.

The psalmist fills the opening verses with responses to God’s work in the lives of the Israelites: “give thanks… make known… sing… tell… glory… rejoice… look… seek.” Each is done or offered with an attitude of gratitude and with thanksgiving filling the heart. These are all ways that we too can offer our praise and thanksgiving to God.

Verses 37-45 (and the rest of the Psalm) are all about remembering the specific actions of God on behalf of the people of God. In our verses today the psalmist celebrates the actions of God during the exodus from slavery. God showed up and showed out again and again. The challenge today is to reflect on your faith life and then to write down a handful of times that God showed up and showed out in your life. It can be a simple list that you write down and then lift up in prayer. It can be on a timeline that you praise your way through. It can be a poem or a song that you put together, read or sung as an act of prayer and praise. Taking the time to be intentional about remembering and thanking God reinforces our faith and it strengthens us to “keep God’s precepts and observe God’s laws.” May it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, fill my heart with gratitude as I remember all that you have done in my life. Each step, each stage – a drawing in deeper into our relationship. Each moment, each season – a place of learning and growth in my faith. Please continue to work in my life, O Lord. And in turn may I serve you in this world. Amen.


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God’s Sanctuary and Dominion

Reading: Psalm 114

Verse 2: “Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.”

For the psalmist, the exodus from under mighty Egypt’s oppression and the near-impossible rescue at the parting of the sea were two great examples of God in action. God acted on behalf of the beloved of God. You and I are beloved of God. So there are times and situations that you can look back on and say, ‘Yes, right then and there, God acted in my life.’ When has God freed you or saved you or rescued you? Like the psalmist does here, it is important for us too to remember and offer our thanksgiving to God. This is part of being God’s sanctuary and dominion.

In verses 5-6 the psalmist asks a great question. He or she ponders over why the waters part and why the mountains and hills quake. They do so because they are “in the presence of the Lord.” God’s power and might and majesty are over all of creation. They are over you and me. As we recognize God’s sovereign hand in all of creation and in our lives, we too humbly now and honor almighty God. This too is part of being God’s sanctuary and dominion.

In verse 2 we read, “Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” This speaks of relationship and connection. It speaks of intimacy and commitment. You and I are part of God’s family. God is our sanctuary – both the place where we worship and the place we go to feel safe and protected. God is our dominion – both the one who is steadfast and true and the one to whom we commit our lives and faith. Thank you, God, for being our sanctuary and our dominion.

Prayer: Lord God, you are our all in all. With you we lack nothing that we need. You are ever-present and almighty. You are personal and intimate. May our lives be expressions of our gratitude for our connection with you. Amen.


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Sing a New Song

Reading: Psalm 149

Verse 4: “The Lord takes delight in God’s people; God crowns the humble with victory.”

Like many of the Psalms, 149 calls us to praise the Lord. God is so good to us in so many ways. Praise is a natural response to these blessings. The psalmist invites us to “sing a new song.” This reflects the beliefs that God is present and that God blesses us each day – therefore we have something new to sing about every day!

We are encouraged to rejoice and be glad in our God and king. We are invited to praise God with dancing and with music. There is a joy in today’s Psalm that beckons us into a place of joy too. The joy is not just ours, though. We are reminded that God delights in us, that we bring God joy. In response, God desires to crown the humble with salvation. Humility is a necessary part of truly praising God with all that we are. Without humility we reserve part of the praise for ourselves.

Today’s invitation to joy and to praise and to offer our thanksgiving to God is also an invitation to revisit yesterday’s focus on the personal times that God has drawn near and has touched our lives. These are occasions for song and praise and rejoicing. Today let us sing a new song of praise to the Lord!

Prayer: Lord God, beautiful singing might not be my gift, yet my prayer can be a song to you. In joy and praise and thanks I lift my voice to you, O maker of heaven and earth, O giver of all good things. Thank you for the many ways that you touch my life and encourage my faith. Amen.


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Praise the Lord!

Reading: Psalm 105:1-6 and 16-22

Verse 2: “Sing to God, sing praise to the Lord; tell of all God’s wonderful acts.”

Today’s Psalm encourages us to praise God for all that God has done. The psalmist invites us to sing our thanksgiving to God as we recall the wonders, the miracles, and the judgments. While it is easiest to praise God for the wonders and miracles, it is also good to remember and offer praise for the judgments. In the lives of God’s people and in our lives these hard but necessary moments kept us aligned with or brought us back into living out God’s will and ways.

The Psalm recalls some of the important times when God acted on behalf of the people. These are certainly reasons to praise the Lord. Today, let us also recall our more recent but ancestral experiences that are worthy of praise. Begin with your family and your church(es). When was God faithful? When did God provide a way? How did God intervene on behalf of your church or family? Praise God!

And then take a step closer to home. Think about your own journey of faith to this point. What encounters with God come to mind? When did God draw near to lead or guide or provide? How has God redirected your path or choices? How has God’s presence brought you comfort or peace or grace or redemption? Praise God!

Pause and offer words of thanksgiving – in song or prayer – for all that the Lord has done. Yes, God is good!

Prayer: Lord God, pausing and reflecting I can see how you’ve led and guided in so many ways – both in the story of your people and in the lives of my family and churches. Thank you! And as I stop and look within my journey I can see your fingerprints there too. Again, thank you! Amen.


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The Natural Response

Reading: Psalm 105:1-11

Verse 8: “God remembers the covenant forever, the promise God made, for a thousand generations.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

Psalm 105 calls us to praise God as we remember, recall, and celebrate God’s promises and God’s actions in the past. The psalmist is writing the people of God – to the Israelites – and inviting them to remember all of their great stories of faith. Stories about the parting of the sea or river, stories about the walls coming down, and stories about God’s presence in the hardest of times would be remembered and retold as a means to reassure themselves, to rekindle their faith and trust in God, and to pass these treasures along to the next generation. The natural response would be to praise God.

All of the Israelites stories were based upon the covenants – especially the one given to Abraham. This covenant promised descendants as numerous as the stars (or sand in the beach), the land in and around Canaan, and God’s presence with the people of God. Much of the rest of Psalm 105 speaks of the exodus out of Egypt and the journey to the Promised Land. This epic journey is filled with story after story detailing God’s love, care, provision, and presence. Again, as these stories are told and the covenants are remembered, praise is the natural response offered to God.

We too journey in faith, using our own stories of God’s love, care, provision, and presence to encourage and reassure ourselves. We also connect to and lean into the promises and covenants to continue walking in faith, especially on those hard days. As we recall our stories today, may we praise the Lord. And as we recall the covenants and promises may we raise a joyful song!

Prayer: Lord God, your love and care for your children began in the garden and it has continued right through to this day. Our scriptures are filled with examples and our lives are filled with accountings of your love and care, of your provision and presence. Thank you for being the God who so deeply loves us. All praise and honor to you, almighty God! Amen.


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God Can and Will

Readings: Genesis 29:15-28 and Psalm 105:1-6

Verse 2: “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.”

Today we pair yesterday’s reading from Genesis 29 with Psalm 105:1-6. By doing so we see a broader picture of God’s love and goodness and faithfulness. The Psalm is a corporate encouragement. It invites all of God’s chosen people to remember what God has done and to praise God: Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” The psalmist invites his readers then and us today to remember the wonders and miracles as well as the judgments of God, connecting all the way back to Abraham and Jacob, two of the greats of the Hebrew faith and story.

Abraham and Jacob were two of many people that God used who were far from perfect. We could include Sarah and Rebekah and Laban in this list. They too were flawed and human, sinful and selfish. When these imperfect people’s stories are read alongside Psalm 105, we are reminded once again that God’s plans and purposes can be and will be accomplished through very human people. That’s good news for you and me!

As we considered Leah and Rachel yesterday, thinking of how their role in God’s story might have affected them, today we recognize that God chose them specifically for this part of God’s story. And we recognize that God continued to work in their lives, long past the place we find them at in Genesis 29.

If God chose and used and blessed men like Jacob and Laban and women like Leah and Rachel, then God definitely can and certainly will choose, use, and bless people like you and me. If you love the Lord and praise God for all that God has done and will do, then there is a place for you in God’s ongoing story. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, I am grateful that you choose anyone to be a part of your story. It reflects your love for all of us – even for those who maybe don’t know you well or even at all when you choose them. The width of your love is amazing! Thank you, Lord. Amen.