pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: trust


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God Can Bring Life

Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-10

Verse 6: “I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

We begin this week with one of my favorite passages. The valley of dry bones is symbolic. Israel is in exile in Babylon. Ezekiel is a priest of the Lord, also living in exile. In this foreign land, hope had dwindled away; their faith had become dry. I love this passage because we all get to this place now and then in life. We can have a hard time clinging to hope and to God when we find ourselves too long in the valley.

This valley full of bones that Ezekiel finds himself in is extreme – there were “a great many bones” and they were all “very dry.” They had been there a long time. The time in exile had been long. God asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel does not judge by what he sees. He chooses instead to be open to the possibility of what God is seeing. He acknowledges that God alone knows. Ezekiel trusts into this.

In those moments when we are in the valley, when we are wondering if there can be life after “this” – may we too try to see as God sees. May we too seek to see into the possibilities of what God might be up to. May we too remember to trust into God, even though our faith may feel dry.

Yes, God can bring life. God directs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. He does and the bones come together and are covered in tendons and flesh. Then God directs Ezekiel to call for breath to enter them. As the breath of God, the Spirit, enters these corpses, they rise and stand, “a vast army.” God brings life, even to that which is dry and without hope. May we cling to this hope and to these promises: God brings life, God restores, God makes a way in the valley. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, what good news! No matter how dry and far away we feel, you can always restore and give new life. What great news! In times or seasons in the valley, O God, remind us of these dry bones that came to life. Amen.


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Thirsty

Reading: Exodus 17:1-3

Verses 1-2: “There was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.'”

As we begin two days in Exodus 17 let’s recall the Israelites’ recent past. They’d been slaves in Egypt for more generations than anyone could count. God, through Moses, freed them from slavery. Shortly into their wilderness trek, Pharaoh’s army is closing in, bent on returning them to slavery. God, through Moses, leads them through the sea, rescuing the people. After three days in the desert they are without water. Again, God through Moses provides. Soon thereafter, as they wander the desert, their food provisions run out and they become hungry. As with the first two incidents, the people again complain or grumble. God again provides, bringing manna in the morning and quail in the evening. Lead out into the desert by God (and Moses), the Israelites were dependent upon God. How else would a vast nation survive in the desert?

As the Israelites once again travel, they come to a place without water. They were in a desert. In our opening verse the people quarrel with Moses and say to him, “Give us water to drink.” They had a real need. They are dependent on God. Could’ve they asked or prayed instead of quarreling and demanding? Yes. Moses asks why they quarrel with him, why they test God.

The Israelites are demonstrating an immature faith. Even though God has provided again and again, they still turn to human reactions instead of faith responses. They are not yet what God is shaping them to be. They’ll spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness. I too can show an immature faith. Last week, when I got sick, my first thought was, ‘God, not COVID again.’ It was not said in the form of a prayer. Should’ve it been? Yes. I too am a work in progress. I too wander in the wilderness now and then. Lord, have mercy.

Prayer: Lord God, when I thirst or hunger, when I face a trial or even a temptation, lead me to turn to you first. Again and again you have provided, you have shown the way, you have rescued. Guide me to again and again turn to you in faith as my first response. Build up my faith, O Lord. Amen.


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God our Help

Reading: Psalm 121

Verse 8: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Verses 1-2 are a declaration of the psalmist’s trust and faith in the Lord our God. The author declares that help comes from the Lord. These verses may be words we claim too. These words can be read as our words, as words that declare our faith.

Verses 3-8 define the help that can come from the Lord. They are things that the psalmist has experienced and offers to us and to others as something that we or they can experience. If you’re not quite ready to claim verses 1-2 as your own, then these remaining verses offer evidence of the ways that God can be your help. God will guard your steps and will be your protector. God will watch over you “both now and forevermore.” As we journey in faith, trusting in God just a little, we come to see that God is always faithful. This allows us to trust just a little more. Perhaps this has been your experience long enough that you do claim all of the words of the psalmist as your words. Perhaps these words are your declaration too – words of faith and trust in a God who will always be your help.

Claiming these words as our own – whether now or at some point on your journey – we must ask: how do we, like the psalmist, proclaim and declare them so that others can know the Lord as their help? This is our charge: to share the good news. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, in whatever way I can, help me declare that you are my help and my shield, my defender and my guide. With words and actions may I share the good news with all I meet. Amen.


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Child of God

Readings: Genesis 12:3 and Romans 4:16-17

Verse 16: “The promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring… He is the father of us all.”

Early in the story of the Bible, Abram is called to step out in faith, to go “to a land that I will show you.” God promises Abram a blessing. He will be the father of a great nation and the world will be blessed through him. Abram went in faith. This step of faith is a foundational example for three traditions. Once Abram was established in Canaan, Ishmael is born to Abram. This the branch of family tree is the origin of the Muslim faith. Many years later Jesus is born from the line of Abraham too, beginning the branch of the Christian faith. As Paul writes, “He is the father of us all,” he is speaking primarily to the Jews and Christians of his day, but we can certainly include others in this family tree. And if we step outside of the biological connection, we know that all people are creations of God, all woven together in the womb, all carrying the spark of the divine within.

You might not dip the bread in the cup tomorrow. You might use real wine. You might hold a different understanding of baptism or Sabbath or prayer than I do. You might not hold any of these practices sacred. None of this makes you any less or more a child of God. Going to worship tomorrow might be the further thing from your mind. Your plans for tonight might be wild and your hopes decadent. None of this or anything else makes you less a child of God. We are all connected. We are all loved by God.

As Abram did, may we too step out in faith, trusting in where God will lead us, knowing and treating all people as the child of God that they are, living as the child of God that we are.

Prayer: Lord God, use me today to express your love for all people. Guide me to love without barriers or filters, without prejudice or distinction. Wipe any limiters from my mind and heart. Guide me to love as you love. Amen.


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Go…. Go??? Go!

Reading: Genesis 12:1-4

Verse 1: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

Photo credit: Jon Tyson

Abram lived in the land of Haran. He was born in Ur but has been in Haran for about 60 years. It is home. He has established a life for himself and for his wife Sarai among his father’s household. Then Terah, his father, dies. It is then that Abram hears these words: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Haran was home to Abram and everyone and everything he knew and loved. At his father’s passing, he would’ve been in charge of all the Terah owned.

God also adds some promises to the command to go. God will make Abram’s descendants into a great nation. Did I mention that Sarai is barren? God will make his name great and all people of the earth will be blessed through him. Did I mention that as Abram leaves home and security, he only has Sarai and his nephew Lot to bring with him? The promises seem great. But they’re a lot like “the land that I will show you.” It is a lot to consider. Yet in verse 4 we read, “So Abram left.”

Abram receives these words from God and off he goes. In a situation full of unknowns, Abram is full of trust in God. Willing to follow God’s direction wherever, Abram sets out. Willing to follow God’s leading until whenever, he begins his journey. Willing to go until God tells him to stop, Abram moves forward. These are the lessons for us in this passage. This example of faithful discipleship is ours to follow.

Maybe God will ask you to load up and go to a new place. Maybe God will nudge you towards that person you’ve been struggling with. Maybe God will put a call on your heart to serve someone. God asks us to go in many different ways. With a full trust in God, may we too go.

Prayer: Lord God, it’s easy to think I’d simply go. But that’s probably not really true. At least a lot of the time. So Lord, deepen my trust in you. Build up my willingness to go whenever and wherever. Amen.


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Inviting Others Along

Reading: 2nd Corinthians 5:20-21 and 6:1-10

Verse 20: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

On this first Sunday in Lent, as we take this mostly personal journey of faith, today’s reading brings this question to my mind: Who are we inviting along in this journey? In today’s passage, Paul describes his journey and this can serve as a model for us as we seek to share Christ with others. In the first verse Paul states: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” Friends, we are all Christ’s ambassadors.

In verses 2 Paul writes of the imperative nature of this role: “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” For every lost soul that crossed paths with Paul and for every wayward person that crosses our path, this statement remains true. Today is the day to meet the Savior. In the rest of the passage Paul speaks mostly of his hardships, not as a way to brag or as a means to show how faithful he was, but as a way to show how God has always been with him. Paul is modeling how his faith was not a “stumbling block” to others but was instead what allowed him to live “having nothing, yet possessing everything.”

In each of these hardships Paul sought to and invites us to be servants who “commends ourselves in every way.” In other words, his faith and trust in Jesus is what he relied on and is what carried him through. In our lives, our actions usually speak louder than our words. So the question for us is this: In our times of hardship, how is the power of Jesus Christ revealed in and through us? That is how we invite others into relationship with Jesus Christ and onto this journey of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, in the good and in the bad, but especially in the hardships, may I reveal you in me to the world. Guide me to turn to you first and always, relying not on my own ability or efforts. Lead me to trust fully in you. Amen.


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Walking Closer

Reading: Psalm 51:1-17

Verse 3: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”

As we begin to lean into Ash Wednesday we first turn to this powerful Psalm. These words are the heartfelt confession of King David. Adultery and murder are the two “big” transgressions at the heart of these words, but they are far from the only sins committed. It can be easy to dismiss the lessons of this Psalm as we think, ‘I’ve never committed murder or adultery.’ If that’s the case, please take a second and read Matthew 5:21-30.

To me the beauty of this Psalm is that it is equal parts confession, trust in God, and a desire to live in such a way that not only David but others can become closer to God. David begins where most of us should begin – asking God for mercy and for cleansing. In verses 3 we learn why this is the place to begin: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Like all of us, David recognizes that he has been sinful since birth. That is just part of the human condition. Beginning in verse 6 David expresses a desire to be better: “teach me wisdom… cleanse me… wash me… blot out my iniquity… create in me a pure heart… renew a steadfast Spirit within me…” David knows that he falls woefully short of who he could be. And he humbly turns to the only one that can change him: God.

Tomorrow evening many of these words will be spoken. The ashes and songs and words will remind us of our shortcomings and of our humanity. The cross made in our forehead or hand will remind us of the only one who can change our hearts. With the same trust and humility as David, may we surrender self to God and commit to walking closer to who God created us to be.

Prayer: Lord God, yes, my sin is ever before me. The words, the thoughts, sometimes the actions – they reveal the depths of humanity within me. Lord, hear my confession and repentance. Cleanse me again and again of my transgressions. Lead and guide me to live my faith more consistently, more honestly, more humbly. Amen.


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Growing Deeper

Reading: Psalm 119:1-8

Verse 7: “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.”

As we return to Psalm 119 today, we focus in on the joy of living into the will and way of God. The psalmist recognizes the blessing of walking in the way of the Lord. Now this is not a material blessing, but a spiritual blessing. This is not an absence of trial or pain blessing, but the blessing of God’s presence in and through all that life throws at us. The blessing comes in the intimate relationship that we can have with God.

The psalmist has learned that intimacy must be built, grown, developed. Accordingly the author strives to “seek God with all their heart.” It is a total commitment. It is not a “what have you done lately” attitude, nor is it an “I’ll see you the next time I need something” attitude. It is an “I’ll seek God with all of my heart” in the highs, in the lows, and in all in between attitude. It is awakening with an “I love you,” going to bed with an “I love you,” and it is saying “I love you God” with each thought, word, and action throughout our day.

The blessing and the presence of God leads to the joy and thanksgiving expressed in our Psalm. In verse 7 we read, “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.” The psalmist seeks to live righteously and according to the will and way of God. Yet there is also a realization that he or she is a work in progress – “as I learn.” There is humility and honesty here. What a refreshing reminder! As fellow works in progress may we too seek God with all of our heart, trusting in God to be faithful and true as we learn to grow deeper in love with the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, there is such joy and peace in your presence. There is security and contentment. There is hope and there is love. There is calm in the storm and elation on the mountain top. Day by day keep my feet on the faithful path. Moment by moment deepen my love for you. Amen.


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What Is Right and True

Reading: Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Verse 1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?”

Photo credit: Darold Pinnock

This week’s Psalm begins with words of faith and trust in God. As you read these words, David’s faith oozes out, his trust shouts aloud. Moving into verse 4 we see the source of his faith and trust. Here David asks just one thing – to dwell in God’s presence all of his days. Even though an enemy may attack, even though an army may besiege him, David trusts that God will keep him safe and that God will “set me high upon a rock.”

In this life we will face enemies and attacks. Last night at youth group we talked about doing the right thing. It is a moment when we sometimes falter, fearing what may happen to us, worrying about what others may say or think about us. Fear of the potential trial or of the cost of doing what we know is right and just can paralyze us. In David’s words we are reminded today that God is with us and that God has been and always will be both our helper and our defender.

Today we remember and celebrate one who lived these words and truths out. Today we remember and celebrate a pastor who chose to stand for justice and equality. Fear could have easily won the day many times. The threats and violence would’ve silenced many people’s voices. Day by day, Martin Luther King, Jr., clung to his light and salvation, to his stronghold, to the one rock upon which he stood. As his fellow saints who walk the same path of faith, may we too choose love instead of hate, trust instead of fear, and hope instead of defeat. God is still at work for the good in all things. In faith and trust may we stand for what is right and just.

Prayer: Lord God, what examples of faith. From the one who sought you with all of his heart to the one who trusted you with his very life, may we be encouraged and inspired. As we seek to trust in you, O God, and as we strive to be love to and for all people, deepen our faith in you, our rock and our light. Amen.


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Blessed with an Epiphany

Reading: Matthew 2:9-12

Verse 9: “They went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them.”

Today, on Epiphany, we return to the story of the Magi. In this time and space we will focus on the revelations of God and why we see them at times and miss them at other times. In the passage the Magi see the star that is the sign of a newborn king of the Jews. Herod cannot see the star. Yes, he claims to want to go and “worship” this new king. In reality he wants to go and eliminate a potential competitor.

What allowed the Magi to see the sign? And what kept it ever before then? The Magi were attuned to the prophecies and to what they meant for humankind. They were not Jewish but they did understand that the Messiah was not a king in the earthly sense. If it were so, they would not have come that far to worship a future king of a tiny, insignificant nation. They came to worship one who would transform the world. The Magi brought gifts of great wealth. The Magi were focused upward. At the opposite end was Herod. He was focused only on self and on earthly power and control. The star bright enough to follow for hundreds of miles was well outside of Herod’s vision.

I’ve experienced what Herod did. I’ve been around people with a vision, with a God-driven purpose in sight but have failed to see what they could see. My doubts or selfish concerns kept me from seeing the signs of God’s hand at work. Maybe you’ve been there too. Maybe you too have been inwardly focused or prideful or unsure. Only when our heart is tuned to God will we be blessed with an epiphany of what God is doing or wants to do in our lives or community or world. So may we choose to live with a heart turned toward God. Then we will be in a place to see and experience the power and glory of God. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the times that you’ve opened my eyes and heart to your presence, plan, and purpose. When I start to turn inward, when I begin to get selfish, pry open my faith and trust in you. Remind me again that you are the God who moves mountains, who heals the hurting, who rescues the lost, who mends the broken, and who redeems the wayward. Amen.