Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame;” vs. 7

The prophet had been called by God to offer words of encouragement and comfort to the weary exiles in Babylon, and he had been a faithful servant. He had taught the people and listened to their laments and complaints day after day, and they did not treat him kindly. His faithfulness to the Lord had been rewarded with insults and persecution. But he refused to act like a victim. Never would he allow their despicable actions to disgrace him, and he remained faithful, knowing he would never be put to shame. Sadly this has been a common experience for the servants of the Lord through the centuries–even Jesus was not immune. And some of us live in environments where faithfulness is a recipe for teasing and ridicule. While our culture pretends to honor Christian values and principles, sometimes our peers can be cruel and vindictive when we try to live as the servants of Jesus. In some arenas being devout can definitely be seen as a deficit and being a person of faith can get pretty lonely. But Jesus stood tall before his persecutors and refused to be kept from completing his mission. Hopefully we will never be tested as he was, but if trials come, we can certainly pray that we too will remain faithful.

Thought for the Day: How do people usually deal with disgrace and shame?

John 11:33-41

“Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’” vs. 40

Martha had confessed her faith in Jesus as the messiah, but she really didn’t have a clue about what a blessing that would ultimately be for her. Jesus was able to do for her far more than she had ever expected–she hadn’t dreamed that she would ever see her brother again. She had sold her faith short! It happens that way for many people who come to believe that Jesus is the Christ. We make that confession by faith, but it can seem ritualistic and commonplace, just another credal statement, something that we confess Sunday after Sunday without even thinking very much about it. But faith is so much more than that! When we have it, the world opens up and we begin to see the glory of God’s presence in the ordinary. Spectacular things take place. The lame walk and the blind see, cancers are cured and we dare to believe that those who have died will live again. People who have no faith see the same things but miss out on the wonder of it all. They fail to see the hand of God in the natural scheme of things, and they miss the beauty and peace that comes from knowing that we come from God, have our being in God, and one day will return to God. It’s faith that wraps all these things together in our lives and that gives us hope.

Thought for the Day: Why do I choose to be a believer?

John 11:17-32

“When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” vs. 32

Mary reacted exactly as Martha had when she came out to greet Jesus. They had such great love and respect for him, and both believed that he could have laid hands on Lazarus and healed him. And both were deeply disappointed that he hadn’t come while Lazarus was still alive. Many of us can empathize with the sisters. We too have had family members or relatives who were gravely ill, and often we have prayed fervently for their healing–and sometimes nothing happens. Our loved ones die! And it hurts, and some of us wonder why Jesus didn’t intervene. It isn’t likely that we’re concerned about the afterlife–most everyone now, as in Mary’s time, believes in resurrection. But we mourn because we’re going to miss them. Their deaths leave big holes in our hearts and the emptiness is palpable. The pain is real and that’s why Mary wept–and that’s why Jesus wept. He felt her pain, and he feels ours too. What a blessing it is to have a Lord who understands, who isn’t lost in remoteness, but who stands with us in every time of sadness and sorrow, and who then reinforces our hope in new life. And before we know it, in the presence of Jesus, smiles and laughter return.

Thought for the Day: What brings me consolation when death comes near?

Delete March 29 you just received…you’ll get it again on March 29,

John 11:1-15

“But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” vs. 4

In the Gospel of John nothing seems to trouble Jesus. Every time a difficult situation came up, e.g. no wine, no bread, no water, paralysis, blindness, fatal illness, he saw it as an opportunity, and believed that these were times when the glory of God could be revealed. Many of his servants today have inherited that same disposition. When others see crisis, they see opportunity. We’ve all seen that pattern in folks we know. Some are completely flummoxed by obstacles and act as though the end of the world has come. Others may be momentarily stunned but quickly adapt to the changing situation and believe that new blessings are just around the corner. For them every job loss, broken relationship, illness or even death is an opportunity for blessings and new experiences of God’s love. In those moments they have new feelings, raw ones they’ve never had before, and gain a greater understanding of what it means to be fully human. Many report being drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus than they ever thought possible. When we see this happening in the lives of people we know, it gives us courage and hope, and the confidence that when awful things come our way, they will not overcome us, and we’ll never be separated from the love of God.

Thought for the Day: How do I react to personal calamity?

Romans 8:10-11

“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” vs. 10

In his letter to the Romans Paul tells them that they are both sinful and redeemed  at the same time, and, this side of the grave, that’s the way it’s always going to be. It’s not easy for us to get our head around this paradox–essentially it means believing opposite things at the same time. But even though it’s hard to understand, it is an incredibly hopeful teaching, and one that we need to hang on to for dear life! Too often servants of Jesus fall into despair because perfection eludes them. Despite our best intentions we exceed our carbon footprints and alienate folks that we love. We absorb Hollywood standards, neglect the poor, ignore the homeless, and are afraid of refugees. When we’re brutally honest we can scarcely get our chins off the ground–our performance seems abysmal. We imagine that God is going to boo us off the stage! But that’s only half the story! We are also the redeemed of God and the Spirit of Christ dwells in us by grace. God loves us, smiles on us, and promises eternal life, in spite of our sin-ridden dead bodies. That is good news we can celebrate all the way to the end of our journeys. Even our sorry selves are used by God, and at the end of each day, as we gaze into the compassionate eyes of the Risen Christ we can be consoled. 

Thought for the Day: What other paradoxes are a part of life?

Romans 8:6-9

“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God…” vss. 6-7a

There is a huge variety of television and movie programming available to us in these days of Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube. Everyday we have dozens of new options for our viewing pleasure–it’s virtually impossible to keep up! And it doesn’t take a very large sample for us to see that the vast majority of our choices are not God-friendly. In fact spiritual or religious characters are usually presented in a negative way, and virtually none of them have what we might call a living faith. Instead we get a steady diet of blasphemy, cursing, and sexual excesses and can actually begin to think this is the norm in our culture. Now there’s no doubt that what we see has an effect on our minds–millions are conditioned to adopt the habits, language, and lifestyles of those depicted there. Hour by hour what we choose to watch changes us. Paul’s words to the Romans are a warning! What he describes as flesh is pretty much what we’re being deluged with! And when our minds fixate on flesh, he says, the result is death and separation from God. But when we set our mind on the Spirit, the road less traveled in our time, we will discover life and peace. People are still making that wise choice–it’s just not being seen on our entertainment screens.

Thought for the Day: How can I set my mind on the Spirit?

Psalm 130

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” vss. 1-2

It’s not much fun to live in the depths! The view is terrible and our only companions are depression and despair. But it was a familiar dwelling place for the psalmist–he likely lived in Jerusalem and life there was full of lamentable occasions. Calamity was a regular visitor. On this day, being at the end of his rope, he does the only thing he can, he cries out to the Lord with loud supplications. Many of us have been in similar situations and for some it’s a regular occurance. Again and again we cry out to God, knowing we don’t deserve special treatment but frustrated nonetheless. Tired of pasting on smiles we really don’t feel, worn down in our interior darkness, we double down on our prayers for release and renewal. And then we wait as patiently as we can, trusting and hoping that better days are just around the corner. And why do we hang on to that hope? Well, like the psalmist we have come to believe that in the Lord there is steadfast love and the power to bring new life. Like countless servants of Jesus before us we dare to believe that tomorrow will be a better day. And amazing as it may, simply having that hope will be enough to lift us out of the depths!

Thought for the Day: Why is hope so powerful?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

“Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.” vs. 12

The people of Israel, captive in Babylon, had given up hope. In their own minds they had been abandoned by the Lord and were as good as dead. But Ezekiel, one of their prophets, was given a vision of resurrection for the people. Their dry bones would be reconstituted with sinews and flesh and the breath of the Spirit would give them new life, and they would be brought back to Israel. That promise of new life has continued to bring hope to God’s people, and now it means more than a return from captivity for a nation. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we dare to believe that death never has the last word. We don’t know all the details, but we do know that even though our bones and flesh return to the dust, the life breathed into us by our creator will never be snuffed out. When death comes for us it will not be the end–a new life awaits in which we will be bathed in the unconditional love of God and have the peace we have always sought. There will be rest for the weary, an end to suffering and pain, and the Good Shepherd will lift us up and carry us home. That is our hope, and it can never be taken away from us.

Thought for the Day: What do I imagine the new life will be like?

John 9:28-41

“They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.” vs. 34

The man who had been blind wanted to share the insights derived from his life-changing experience with the Pharisees, but they refused to listen. More than that they drove him from their presence, likely with insults and blows. Not having been schooled in the Law of Moses, in their eyes, he lacked the proper credentials. Oh how much we miss when we write off the testimony of those who we consider to be our inferiors! God pays no attention to degrees, education, or social standing when our teachers are chosen. The Holy Spirit blows into lives and people have extraordinary experiences of the divine presence that they are glad to share, and because we disrespect their standing we close our ears and refuse to listen. More often than not we will quickly exit their presence. God’s greatest lessons never come to us when we are asserting our opinions or offering our experiences. It’s only as we listen that we learn–and often it’s hard to hear what we’re being taught, especially when it’s at odds with our own convictions and prejudices. This doesn’t mean that everything we hear is from God–there’s plenty of garbage being presented as truth out there, especially in this time of deliberate disinformation peddling. We need to pray daily for the gift of discernment! But the truth remains! The best way to learn is through indiscriminate listening!

Thought for the Day: My most unlikely teacher!