pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: presence


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Walk in the Light and Love

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 5:4-8

1st Thessalonians 5:8 – “But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of salvation.”

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As we continue in our Epistle reading, Paul differentiates between the believers and those who live by the ways of the world. Those without faith will be caught off guard, surprised by Christ’s return. But the believers? They won’t be surprised because they will be ready to meet Jesus. They are the “children of the light and the day.” Those who follow Jesus “live in the light.” This light – Jesus – allows them to always be on guard, alert, and clearheaded. They are not to “fall asleep” on their faith. These words of Paul also apply to us and to our walk of faith. These words also reiterate the call we heard last week in the parable of the ten bridesmaids: be prepared, be ready, always have oil for your lamp.

In verse 8 Paul offers these words: “But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of salvation.” Paul is beginning to develop his thoughts on the “armor of God.” He will flesh this idea out fully about ten years later in his letter to the Ephesians (see chapter 6.) With these words, Paul emphasizes the importance of faith and love and of our confidence in God. These words invite us to clothe ourselves with Christ – to allow our faith and love to guide us, our words, our actions. They also invite us to allow Christ to protect us and to guard us – especially our minds. This is where those thoughts that lead us into darkness begin to form. If we allow Christ to guard our minds, then we will walk in the light and love of Jesus Christ. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, while we live daily knowing that Jesus Christ will return, the darkness can creep in, slowly. Because of this, our walk in the light can be challenging. We get busy or distracted and then we look out the window of our mind, and that darkness has enveloped us. Lord, guard and protect us. Remind and encourage us. Through your Holy Spirit’s presence, lead us to walk daily in the light and love and hope of Christ. Amen.


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Prepared and Ready

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 5:1-3

1st Thessalonians 5:2 and 3 – “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly… as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin.”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

As we begin a few days in 1st Thessalonians 5, Paul continues to answer the Thessalonians’ questions about the resurrection. In today’s verses Paul reminds them of two very important things. The first is this: Jesus is returning. Paul and they (and we) know this in our heart of hearts. They are sure of the “what” and even “how” parts of this coming event. It is the “when” that is the unknown.

In verses 2 and 3 Paul writes, “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly… as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin.” They and we do not know the day or hour. We do not know the year. It will, however, come upon us quite unexpectedly. Suddenly there will be a heavenly shout and a trumpet call. The faithful who have died will rise and… Christ will be here. Right now. Suddenly.

Paul uses two metaphors to describe the sudden and unexpected nature of Christ’s return. First he compares it to a “thief in the night.” You are awakened during the night to a noise downstairs. It is too late. The thief has come. Worse yet, you come home and realize that the thief has come and gone. And you’re still here, having to deal with the consequences of that.

Paul’s second metaphor is labor pains. When pregnant, the mother-to-be knows that these pains are coming. They are unavoidable. It is not unexpected in this way – much as we cannot be surprised when Jesus returns. But that due date? It is a best guess. Yet the woman knows the day has arrived when she feels that first pang of pain. And if preparations begin then or if they are ignored – trouble! So we too must be prepared and ready. May it ever be so, because on that day, “There will be no escape.”

Prayer: Lord God, day by day lead us to be prepared to stand in Jesus’ holy presence. Hour by hour guide us to practice the means of grace so that we are right with you and with one another. Moment by moment use us to be love in the world. Being love lived out, we will recognize love when he returns. Amen.


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Constant Presence

Reading: Psalm 107:33-37

Psalm 107:33 and 35 – “He changes rivers into deserts… But he also turns deserts into pools of water.”

Psalm 107 began yesterday with praise for times of redemption, with a call to tell others about these times, and with a reminder of how God rescues us when we wander. Today, in verses 33-37, we are reminded that our actions (or inactions) also play a role in how we perceive God’s presence in our lives. The words of the psalmist are set within their general  understanding of how God “worked” at that time. To do or be good brought God’s blessings. To sin or do evil brought God’s wrath and punishment. This context is important as we seek application today.

Verses 33-35 represent the second scenario or understanding of God. When the people of God persisted in their sin, refusing to listen to the prophets that God sent their way, then they were sent into exile. “He changes rivers into deserts.” Lives were lost, cities lay in ruin, many were hauled away to live in foreign lands. Their faith became as dry as a desert. God felt far away. We experience these things. In the middle of a dark valley or time of wandering, our faith can begin to feel dry and then it feels like God is far away.

Then in verses 35-37, God is present. God restores. “But he also turns deserts into pools of water.” For Israel, the God who has been present all along “suddenly” acts. In reality, Israel’s time in exile slowly changed them. God was working all along. Slowly but surely, in small ways, the people returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt both lives and faith. In the same way, God becomes present to us in our dark valleys and dry seasons, working to bring us back to faith. Light and life return to our day to day walk. Suddenly it seems that God is there again.

But when we take time to reflect back on both scenarios, on felt absences and on real presence, we can see how God was there all along. With these reflections, our faith grows and we learn how to see God in the small ways, not just in the valley but all the time. Thanks be to God for the constant presence and the faithful love.

Prayer: Lord God, we are grateful for your constant presence in our lives. In the times when our sin separates us from you, nudge us towards conviction, confession, and repentance. When life creates a sense of separation, whisper into our hearts and ears, assuring us that you are there in the desert or valley. Thank you. Amen.


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Love Poured Out

Reading: Psalm 90:13-17

Psalm 90:14 – “Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy at the end of our lives.”

Credit: Rebecca Gelaney

Continuing in the Psalm of Moses, we jump to verses 13-17. These verses reveal the ebb and flow of connection to God. In the opening verse Moses asks a question we often ask in times of hardship or suffering: How long? This question is fueled by the feeling that God is not present or, worse yet, is absent. Moses cries out for God to act and, by doing so, to become tangibly present. In reality, God is always with us. God is always present.

Hope and presence return to Moses in verse 14, where he writes, “Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy at the end of our lives.” This is a request for daily presence with proof: joy. Every morning, joy. It is good to awaken each morning, to connect into and to sense God’s presence, to allow the joy to well up within us. To seek this joy and to hold tight to God each day keeps us walking in faith. And it works against us yearning for or returning to our former years, to a time of misery and evil. Those “old self” things pull at us even as we are walking in faith. Yes, Lord, fill us with joy and gladness and good!

Moses closes with an eye to the future. He wants the children, the next generation, to see God’s hand at work. This builds their foundation of faith. The prophet closes with a double request to “make our efforts successful.” God has walked with Moses and with the Israelites. He desires to see this continue, so that Israel will be blessed with joy and gladness and faith. We also desire for faith to grow in our children and one day to be passed on to the next generation. O Lord, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, pour your love into our hearts every morning, filling us with joy and presence, with hope and trust. Take that love and all that comes with it, O God, and pour it out into others – our children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our friends, and, yes, even into the stranger on the street. Amen.


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Seeing God

Reading: Exodus 33:18-23

Exodus 33:18 – “Moses replied, ‘Then show me your glorious presence.'”

On Tuesday this week we read of Moses petitioning God to remain present to him and to Israel. God relented from the plan to send them on to the Promised Land without God’s presence. But Moses wanted some proof. He says to God, “Then show me your glorious presence.” God’s answer is “Yes, but…” God will reveal the fullness of God’s glory, sort of. God knows that the full glory of God is more than Moses or any human being can take in at one time. God graciously comes up with a plan for Moses to see as much of God as is humanly possible.

God places Moses in a crevice of a rock and shields Moses’ eyes as God passes by. As God walks away, the hand is lifted and Moses sees God’s back. Because of God’s tender compassion, God found a way to grant Moses’ request. It would have been easier to just say “no” and offer a reason why. Instead, God found a way to say “yes” to Moses.

There are times when we’d really like to see God. Sometimes our faith is wearing thin and we need reassurance. Some of the time we are really upset or even angry and we want to have it out with God. Other times we feel like we just need to be in God’s actual presence. God is present to us in each of these situations, just as God was with Moses – in Spirit. But once in a while, God is more present, in a tangible way – as we look in the mirror one day, as another person is present to us, as we are awed by a sunset or by ocean waves. God graciously meets us where we are at, giving us just what we need in that moment. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your presence in our lives. Your Spirit is a constant presence with us as you lead and guide, direct and assure, convict and refine, restore and redeem. And thank you for the glimpses, for your tangible presence that we do experience from time to time. Continue to be present to us in all ways, O God. Amen.


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Filled with Faith, Love, and Hope

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 1:1-6

1st Thessalonians 1:3 – “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church opens with greetings from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. These three traveled together for much of Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul and Silas had recently been to Thessalonica, where they founded this new church and started to encourage them in word and deed. But some Jews had stirred up trouble, forcing Paul and Silas to flee in the night. Wanting to check in on these new believers, Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica. He found them faithful and unified, even in the face of suffering and persecution.

After the greeting and expression of thanksgiving and prayers for the church in Thessalonica, Paul adds, “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Thessalonians are living out their faith in active ways, holding onto hope, trusting in Jesus Christ. Reading on we discern how and why these new Christians can be shining lights of faith. Yes, they heard the good news and, yes, they had Paul and Silas’ example. But even more importantly, they received the power of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Spirit in their hearts brought both assurance and joy – even in the sufferings.

The indwelling presence and constant power of the Holy Spirit is what fills the Thessalonians with the faith to do good works, with the love to practice good deeds, and with the hope to endure sufferings and trials. It is the Spirit that fills each believer with faith, love, and hope. In their everyday lives and in the times of great need, the Spirit is right there with them. We who believe have this same Spirit in us. May faith, love,and hope overflow from our lives as well!

Prayer: Lord God , thank you for the work of Paul and others that first shared the good news and opened hearts to receive Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit. Thank you for the work of those that did the same in our lives. In turn, O Lord, may Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lead and guide us in faith, love, and hope, using each of us to build the kingdom of God in our time and place. Amen.


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“I know you by name.”

Reading: Exodus 33:12-18

Exodus 33:17 – “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”

As chapter 33 begins, God tells Moses and the people to “get going,” to head to the land promised to their ancestors. Today’s portion of this week’s Exodus reading is Moses’ response to this directive along with God’s response to Moses. Moses and the people are not comfortable pressing on without God going with them. So Moses asks God to allow him to know God even more, to “understand you more fully… to enjoy your favor.” God tells Moses that, yes, God will go with him. That is not enough for Moses.

Pressing God, Moses speaks for the people, asking for God’s presence to be with the people too. This presence is what sets them apart from all other people. God responds, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” God will go with the people too. As assurance, Moses asks to see God’s “glorious presence.” We will unpack this request and God’s response at the end of the week.

What does this exchange between God and Moses reveal to us? Moses is modeling what Paul later wrote about in Philippians 4. He is taking his worry and anxiety to God. Moses honestly talks with God, revealing his faith and trust in their relationship. In turn, God is patient and assures Moses that God will continue to be with him and with the people. God is faithful. And through this presence, God will give Moses rest. God is a provider. As we go to God again and again, with our worries and with our thanksgiving, our relationship with God will grow and deepen. God will look upon us and say, “I know you by name.” May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us to come to you with all that is on our hearts and minds – the praise and thanksgiving, the worries and the fears – all of it. Draw near to us in these moments, assuring us of your presence and love. Deepen our connection to you. Amen.


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They Forgot

Reading: Psalm 106:19-23

Psalm 106:21 – “They forgot the God who saved them, the one who had done great things…”

Returning to Psalm 106 today, we read of the incident that happened in Exodus 32. It is the sin of the writer’s “ancestors” that was referenced in verse 6. It is the remembering of how their great grandfathers or great, great grandmothers “acted wickedly.” It is a reminder of how capable the current Israelites are of going down this same path. And it is a warning about how quickly we can turn to idols and sinful behaviors.

As we walk daily with God, we might wonder how this could happen to Israel. God has done so much for them lately: the plagues, the Passover, the parting of the sea, the manna and quail, the water from a rock… If we are tending to our faith, one of our daily habits is thanking God for the blessings, guidance, direction, protection… in our lives. We too should be able to quickly come up with a list of what God has done for us. With this in mind, we do wonder how they ended up worshipping an idol, “a bull that eats grass.”

The answer comes in verse 21: “They forgot the God who saved them, the one who had done great things…” They forgot God. We do this too. We allow temptation to become sin. We turn to our own devices and means instead of to God. We grasp control and seek power instead of surrender. And I am pretty sure that God has gotten ready a time or two to smite us. Or maybe that number is closer to four billion.

In the second part of verse 23, the psalmist reminds Israel of how Moses interceded and of how God’s anger subsided as love and mercy won the moment. This same love and mercy pours out over us when we are less than we are created to be. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder that even when we chase after promotions and possessions and pleasures, you are nearby, waiting to reconnect with us, ready to pour out your great mercy and love. We are grateful for your Spirit that works and works within us and for your Son who intercedes for us. You are an awesome and amazing God. Amen.


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Faithful, Enduring Love

Reading: Psalm 106:1-6

Psalm 106:3 – “The people who uphold justice, who always do what is right, are truly happy!”

Photo credit: Freestocks

As we read the first half of this week’s Psalm today, the psalmist begins with praise followed by a request for God’s “saving help.” Verse 1 opens with praise and thanksgiving for God’s faithful, enduring love. The psalmist then recognizes God’s might that is beyond compare. This seems like a Psalm of praise so far. It begins to shift in verse 3. Here we read, “The people who uphold justice, who always do what is right, are truly happy!” Maybe that’s other people. This feeling continues in the next two verses. The author invites God to “remember me” and to “visit me.” God feels distant to the psalmist.

Scholars believe this Psalm was written during the exile in Babylon. Israel was at a low point in the faithful-sinful-repentant cycle that repeats itself again and again in the scriptures. The golden calf was not the only low point in the wilderness. Exile was not the only low point after entering the Promised Land. These words of praise and thanksgiving are words of longing and of a desire to know God’s presence once again. These words of the psalmist are words of repentance.

The Psalm gets real in verse 6: “We have sinned – right along with our ancestors. We’ve done what’s wrong. We’ve acted wickedly.” This admission is not limited to the folks in the Bible. This is our experience as well. We sin and fall short. God feels distant. We repent. We are made right by God. We live faithfully for a while. And we sin again. Sadly, this seems to be the human condition. Yet there is a deeper and stronger truth. As the psalmist gives thanks for God’s faithful, enduring love, so too do we. God’s love and the grace that flows from this love are greater than our sin. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your long, sure, steady walk with us. Thank you for a love that never gives up on us, for a grace that never runs out. In praise our hearts sing the old hymn, “Grace, grace, God’s grace! A grace that is greater than all our sin!” Amen.


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Connecting to Presence

Reading: Psalm 19:1-6

Psalm 19:1 – “Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky is proclaiming God’s handiwork.”

When we were recently in Ireland, we went to several beaches. As a fair-skinned person I easily sunburn, so beaches were not my thing growing up. But as we walked the beach, as we saw the birds in the surf, as we saw and felt the waves, I could sense God’s presence in all of it. The same presence is there when I go outside on a dark night and gaze up into the sky. It is there when I walk along a path in the quiet woods on a sunny day. It is not just the heavens and the sky that declare God’s glorious handiwork.

Creation speaks to us and touches our hearts. As David writes in verses 3 and 4, there is “no speech, no words.” Yet while their voices cannot literally be heard, creation’s “sounds” are all around us and are everywhere. We not only “hear” creation when on a beach, in the woods, on a mountaintop, or gazing at the stars, but we can also “feel” creation as we sense God’s presence in all of the created world.

We live in a busy and hectic world. It is noisy, fast-paced, and demanding. It is easy to get caught up in it, to wake up today and to wonder what happened to Tuesday and Wednesday. When life is like this, we tend to lose touch with the Creator. In these days and seasons of life, it is important to reconnect. Find a few minutes here and there to connect to the created world and to God. Both are always present. Sip a little coffee out on the deck or patio or balcony. Take a short walk in nature. Step outside for a few moments, looking heavenward, breathing deeply, filling your lungs and heart. God is there.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for surrounding us with your presence. Pull us into those moments and places of connection, renewing and refreshing our spirits and minds. And if we can’t quite get there physically, guide us to close our eyes, to quiet the voices, to breathe deeply, and to go to those places in our minds. Even there, you are present. Thank you, God. Amen.