Romans 8:19-25

“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25

Paul’s letter to the Romans is not easily understood. He pours out his heart and his convictions about the new life in Christ, and many times his arguments seem forced and repetitive. He knows that the Spirit of God is at work in the world and believes that ultimately the whole creation will see the glory of God and receive the benefits of salvation. What we have in the meantime is hope! And that means there’s no concrete evidence that any of the things Paul has promised will ever happen. Essentially that’s how it is for the entire walk of faith. There are many things we do know, but the future stuff? That’s all based on hope. We’re hoping for what we’ve not yet seen! And that’s where patience comes in. Hope and patience are inextricably connected, and together they keep us from despair. We may not know what is coming for our earth, we may not know the shape of our own futures, but we will not live in fear. Day by day we will patiently march on, doing our routines,  imagining future adventures, always with smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts, because we do have hope. And nothing can ever take that away from us!

Thought for the Day: What happens to those who lose hope?

Romans 8:12-18

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” vss.15-16

When we, by the grace of God, begin to lead lives that bring us joy and that are a blessing to others, it’s not because we have somehow found the strength in ourselves to overcome sin and temptation. Rather, Paul insists that these fruits become ours through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit, he says, we have received a spirit of adoption. In his estimation, when in the course of our days we cry out “Abba,” the Aramaic word for father, it’s like the cry of a child, and a sign that we are the adopted children of God. While that term doesn’t likely pass muster for some–for them it sounds horribly paternalistic–it is true that there are days when we crave comforting hugs and words of reassurance. Paul simply means that in that cry our weary spirits are making a connection with the Spirit of God. We really are children of God and heirs of all God’s blessings. That’s probably why so many of us are comfortable praying regularly to “Our Father”–it’s an intimate prayer address, and testifies to our conviction that we really are God’s children, and dependent on God for all we have and are.

Thought for the Day: At its best, what does the term “Father” mean for me?

Psalm 86:14-17

“Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl.” vs. 16

The psalmist was in a tough spot. He had enemies, ruffians who were indifferent to the Lord, and they were seeking his life. At the end of his rope he pleads for God’s intervention and rescue, asking for strength in his time of trouble. He had been trained from his youth that God could be counted on in the rough spots of life. Why was he confident? Because it had been repeated again and again in the scriptures, the refrain was a regular part of worship. “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” If that verse sounds familiar it should. We continue to repeat these precious words in our liturgies, just as in the time of the psalmist. And we believe them! And we should! We are purveyors of the gospel of grace, and we trust with all our hearts that God is full of compassion and that God can be counted on to give strength in times of suffering and pain. Do we always get rescued? Are we always healed? Of course not, but we are consistently given strength in our suffering, and amazingly enough, in the end that’s really all we need. It is enough to know that we have a God who is full of love and who will not allow even death to have the last word.

Thought for the Day: What’s the last word I’d like to hear?

Psalm 86:11-13

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11

When we began to walk with the Lord, however many years ago that might have been, we likely didn’t realize that it would be so difficult, that sometimes the path would be hard to distinguish. But that’s how it is, and we soon discover that we need constant guidance to stay on the way. How good it is then to have faithful teachers and preachers with us on the journey! Their help can be invaluable during the tough times. And then as the years have continued who could have imagined that there could be so many distractions in the life of faith. Instead of bringing clarity to our hearts, the changing times have made the truth even more confusing. And now we have AI, some new invention that means we will never again be able to reliably believe anything that we see or read! Something must have gone awry while we weren’t paying attention! Oh, how the words of the psalmist rings true, “Give me an undivided heart, O Lord, to revere your name.” Somehow, as these divisive years pass, it will be so important to continue to focus our attention on the unconditional love of God, and recognize that the very best use of our time is in sacrificial service. It is here that we will find contentment!

Thought for the Day: How’s my life going today?

Isaiah 44:6-8

“Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.” vs. 8

One thing that made Israel different from other peoples and nations was the bold assertion that there was no other god besides the Lord, not even one. We who are Israel’s faith descendents continue to make that claim, even though we may disagree about the nature of our one God. However much we might debate about God’s origins or spatial positioning or power, no one who believes in God seriously doubts that God is one. In fact, most of us would gladly agree that God is our rock, maybe even the “rock of ages”. That solid belief is one that unifies us with a wide variety of people, even those of other faiths. We can agree together that God is the stabilizing force of the universe, the ever-present sustainer of life, and the ground of all being. Occasionally we can even come together to celebrate that unifying faith, and in the process put aside all those things which divide us. Unfortunately those moments are usually driven by great disasters, times when death and destruction ravage our cities and countries. It seems only then that we call upon our common God for support and help. How wonderful it will be when all nations and peoples are bound together in perfect unity–all the time!

Thought for the Day: How often have I worshiped with people of other faiths?

Matthew 13:18-23

“But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” vs. 23

Even though Jesus used parables to describe the kingdom of God, most people did not understand what he was talking about, and the parable of the sower, as he explained it to his disciples, was a way to understand their mixed reactions. Some never even heard the proclaimed word, it went in one ear and out the other. A few heard and tried to apply it, but soon lost interest. Some others heard with enthusiasm and seemed to “get it,” but ultimately wandered off to pursue their latest lust. Jesus’ first century description of reactions to the word is a precise match for what happens in our culture when people hear the gospel. Not everyone is going to “get it” and even when it appears they have, they really don’t. And no matter what we do to “gussy up” the word with song and dance, ultimately it won’t make any difference. But some people do hear and understand, and Jesus says that these folks make it all worthwhile. These are the 20 percenters who put our congregations on their backs and carry them through thick and thin, and their efforts are changing the world. So, rather than lament those who aren’t good soil, perhaps we should be celebrating those who are!

Thought for the Day: What kind of soil am I?

Matthew 13:1-9

“Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow.’” vss. 2-3

According to scripture Jesus regularly made use of parables as he spoke to the crowds who gathered to hear him teach. The form wasn’t necessarily unique to him but he polished it for regular use. Parables differ from allegories in that they generally have one main point, some particular truth that Jesus was trying to communicate. Often a parable would use imagery that was familiar to Jesus’ largely rural audience. Often brief they could be subtle and to the point, but not always easily understood. Sometimes even Jesus’ disciples didn’t get the meaning and would be forced to ask him later what he’d been trying to say. He often used parables to describe the kingdom of heaven, a particularly hard concept for folks to get their minds around. Even today we have trouble, and speak almost exclusively of heaven as some future destination. But that’s never what Jesus was describing. He wanted his hearers to know that God’s rule could be seen every day in the most ordinary ways and that if people had eyes to see they could catch a glimpse. That’s what makes the parables so fascinating–and Jesus was a master at clothing divine wisdom in his stories of ordinary people and their everyday activities.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite parable?

Romans 8:6-11

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

Through the centuries humans all over the world have celebrated God’s indwelling presence in their various religions and have developed whole systems of thought devoted to the accessing of that Divine Spirit. Paul taught that this indwelling presence was Christ and his words are a source of enormous good news to all who take them to heart. He tells us that sin does not define us, that even though we are flawed in countless ways, we can still enjoy peace and contentment in our earthly lives. We can still know the joy that comes through loving and serving, and we can still make a difference for good in our world. And more than that, not only is Christ in us, we are in Christ, and it’s here that we receive access to the righteousness that comes straight from the heart of God. Oh what a blessing it is to have a daily routine of confession and forgiveness and access to the cleansing rituals of our faith community! Day after day we die to sin and are reborn to new life. And after a lifetime of daily resurrections, when at last we take our final breath, Paul tells us that the one who raised Christ from the dead will give new life to our mortal bodies and we will be received into the arms of God.

Thought for the Day: If people don’t believe this, what are their options?

Romans 8:1-6

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” vss. 1-2

Even though it drove Paul crazy to keep on doing the things that he didn’t want to do, and he couldn’t stop doing them no matter how hard he tried, he did not despair. He knew that God would not condemn him for the continuing sins that popped up on a daily basis. And why not? Because he was in Christ Jesus. He had been enveloped by the Spirit of the Resurrected Jesus, and in Christ he had been set free from condemnation. How did Paul know this about himself? To put it simply, it was a matter of faith–he trusted that he was in Christ. Of course, as we know, that was no small thing. Sometimes we have a hard time trusting in the love of others, even when they say that they love us. It’s just hard to have that kind of faith. But when we have it, the feeling of security is overwhelming. How wonderful it is when we can learn to trust God’s love in the same way! As people of both spirit and flesh, we can’t live without sinning. That’s just the way it is! But when we trust that we are in Christ, grace rules, and our spirits are set free to daily rejoice.

Thought for the Day: How do I know that I am in Christ Jesus?

Psalm 65:9-13

“You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.” vs. 12

As the psalmist meditated on the wonders of the natural world he was overwhelmed by the way everything worked together in seamless fashion. There was sunlight and rain, rivers that seasonally watered the crops, and it was all under the direction of God. Because of what God had done, people had grain to eat and water to drink, and they were wise enough to respond with thanks and praise. As the years have passed we’ve continued to recognize the intricacies and the wonders of agriculture and human life has flourished. In the course of time, by building dams, reservoirs, and canals, and diverting the natural flow of streams, we’ve even been able to turn thousands of acres of desert into productive farmland. And, as has often been the case, our human tinkering with the intricate web of creation hasn’t always worked out for the best. Some would say that we’ve strained our resources to the breaking point and massively mismanaged the water supply as population centers have shifted. Many are realizing, perhaps for the first time, just how important water is for daily living, and are beginning to treat it as a most precious gift of God. Even unbelievers are learning new ways to conserve limited water resources! 

Thought for the Day: What’s my part in water conservation?