Psalm 89:1-4

“I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.” vs 2

Tradition ascribes this psalm to Ethan the Ezrahite, and calls it a maskil, a didactic poem, one that is used as a teaching tool. Ethan’s intention is clear, he wants all of Israel to know that God is faithful and that David was God’s chosen one, the founder of a dynasty that would last forever. For centuries Ethan’s words were an inspiration to Israel, a source of hope even when the nation had fallen apart. As such they continue to nurture us, particularly when our world is so full of uncertainty. Today Ethan reminds us that God is no scam artist, here today and gone tomorrow, a fickle god who makes promises that are never kept.On the contrary Ethan says that God is the prime constant of the universe, and that steadfast love is God’s defining characteristic. That’s music to our ears in these darkened days before Christmas. So many are experiencing anxiety and depression, with seasonal dreariness being compounded by lack of social engagement. Our usual holiday plans have been disrupted and put at risk, and we long for assurance. Often in these moments our own faith can become pretty sketchy, and our spiritual weaknesses are multiplied. Ethan says that’s no big deal because God never loses heart, and God’s faithfulness never wavers. God never gives up on us!

Thought for the Day: How do I experience God’s faithfulness?

Don’t read the Desert Meditations you just received! It was preemptive!

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

“Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’” vs. 3

King David, having defeated his enemies, has settled down in Jerusalem in a fine house. In thanksgiving he decides to build an even bigger house for the Lord and the palace prophet Nathan told him to do whatever he wanted. Later Nathan has a change of heart and tells his king the Lord really doesn’t need a house–never did, never will! In fact, he says, the Lord will make a house for David, one that will last forever. There’s a pretty obvious lesson in Nathan’s argument. For some reason a lot of folks put a lot of stock in the houses that they build or buy during their time on earth. The religious even pool their funds and build magnificent and beautiful churches, thinking perhaps that such edifices are pleasing to God. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact it’s quite a ridiculous notion, this idea we have of building a house for God. Everyone knows that God can’t be confined to a building. Equally foolish is the idea that our structures of brick and mortar will somehow be our legacy in this world. Those who build or buy big houses seldom live in them for very long. How much better it is to invest in people! When we spend ourselves nurturing and loving family and friends they become our legacy and our stewardship will have lasting value–and we will be a blessing for centuries, if not forever.

Thought for the Day: What will be my legacy?

John 1:19-28

“John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’” vss. 26-27

John was a person of some notoriety. King Herod knew who he was; the religious leaders in Jerusalem were aware of his ministry; he was attracting thousands of followers from all over Judea. Rumors about his identity were spreading even without social media. Some said he was the messiah, others, Elijah, and still others, that he was one of the prophets. But John himself said that he was none of these; he was a nobody. It was the one who stood among them, the one nobody knew who would turn the world rightside up! What a contrast John provides in our age of celebrity Christianity! By its nature Christianity has always provided fertile territory for charlatans and publicity-seeking preachers. We see these Elmer Gantry types all around, attracting thousands of seekers to their pop-inspired worship extravaganzas. They cozy up to politicians and live like rockstars, and wouldn’t think of embracing John’s humility. And yet the church continues to be a power in our world! Not because of its “stars,” but because of the unknowns who live cheek by jowl with the rest of us. It is in their humble presence that we see the Christ at work, bringing words of hope, forgiveness, joy, and love, even in times like this. 

Thought for the Day: What’s attractive about humility?

John 1:6-8

“He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” vs. 7

On the surface John’s mission seems strange! He was sent to testify to the light…but why would light need anyone to testify to it? Shouldn’t everyone just be able to see it and know that it was light? Light is self-evident–when it’s present everyone knows it, or so it would seem! But the Gospel is giving us a deeper message. Sometimes the light is not self-evident, and needs to be pointed out, and that’s the way it is with the Christ. When Jesus came to his own as the Light of the world they didn’t see the light–they only saw the carpenter’s son, someone they’d known all their lives. Jesus needed an identifier, someone who could say that he was the Lamb of God, and that was John’s job. That’s still how it is. Often Christ appears in darkness, and in the night of our lives, even as we’re suffering, we get a glimpse of Divine Love, and we are enlightened. Some live among the religious and don’t have a clue about the Christ, while others live among sinners and have regular encounters with the Light. Fortunately there are plenty of Johns in our world, people who will testify to the presence of the Christ, and maybe we can do that too. All it takes is a willing heart, and sharing a word of hope in hopeless times!

Thought for the Day: Who has been a John for me?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” vss. 16-18

Some of us wonder about the will of God in our lives, just what it is that God wants us to do or be, and in those moments our minds go wild with various possibilities. Perhaps we should change jobs or careers, or volunteer for a mission service project, something more in line with what we imagine Christians ought to be doing. Now it could be that any of those things are in store for us, we can after all use our gifts and talents in a variety of ways, but what God has in mind for us is more basic than that. Paul nails it in his closing paragraphs to the folks at Thessalonica, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances!” Those words are precisely what we need to hear as we begin closing in on Christmas this year. Following Jesus is not so much about jobs and projects as it is about our basic attitude in the tough times of life. Instead of complaining, pointing fingers, and assessing blame, we are to rejoice, give thanks, and pray, not just in the morning or evening, but all the time. Is this even possible? Of course it is! We all know people who live this way and they are a delight to be around, and if they can do it, so can we! And the world will be blessed for it!

Thought for the Day: Who do I know who lives like this?

1 Thessalonians 5:6-15

“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” vs. 11

As we move through these shortening days of December, in reality time seems to be stretching out. We’re tired of travel restrictions and bothered by the continued spread of the virus in our country. So many have been worn down by the isolation and daily conflicting reports about vaccines and quarantine. And since we can’t seem to get words of encouragement from pundits and politicians we’re really in the mood for the quiet affirmations that we can get from fellow believers. That was Paul’s wish in this final section of his letter to the Thessalonians. They had been led to believe that it wouldn’t be long before Christ returned, but now the years were passing and they were hard-pressed to know what to do. Paul told them to remain faithful and to provide mutual encouragement, just as they had done in the past. It’s solid advice in any age–and we need it now particularly. Patience isn’t a long suit for many and it could be that our nerves are beginning to fray as we prepare for a Christmas, the likes of which we’ve never experienced before. Even in the best of times we need a circle of friends to pick us up when times are tough–and in these days we need that encouragement even more. And it does come! It’s one of the blessings of living in Christ!

Thought for the Day: Who can I encourage today?

Psalm 126

“Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6

It’s hard to know sometimes just what it is that triggers the growth of the spiritual fruits that have been sown in our hearts by our Creator. The psalmist has a suggestion that may bear some consideration. He links weeping to the whole cycle of planting and harvesting, and the connection is intriguing. We learn from our environment that “big boys don’t cry” and that tears are a sign of weakness, but it just might be that our learned reluctance to show emotion is a primary cause for our barren lifescapes. Perhaps our tears are the water of life that our spiritual gardens need to blossom and flourish! We already know that our strongest connections with hurting people are made on the basis of our common suffering and that when we reveal our pain to others we open the door to love. If this is true, and experience tells us that it is, then our much admired stoicism in the face of suffering does no one any favors. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” And more than that, those who mourn also become blessings to all they encounter, as their tears trigger the production of abundant and joy-filled love! As the psalmist has put it, those who go out weeping shall return with shouts of great joy!

Thought for the Day: What good has come of my weeping?

Isaiah 61:8-11

“For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” vs. 11

For years believers have confessed in worship, “We are by nature sinful and unclean,” not realizing what an affront that statement is to our Creator. Do we really believe that the Lord of the Universe created us to be naturally sinful? Of course we can find verses in scripture that affirm such a notion, but the overriding testimony of Genesis paints a different picture. “And the Lord God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good!” We bear in our DNA the image of our Maker, and have been created to bring goodness and righteousness to the world, and THAT is our natural inclination, and not sin. Of course we recognize that we do behave poorly and regularly fall away from our calling, but that does not negate the potential for beauty and love that has been sown in every human heart. Sustained by the unremitting and unconditional forgiveness that is ours through Christ Jesus, we are the source of goodness for the nations. It is said that “an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and that is certainly true for the children of God. The seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness have been sown in our hearts, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can and do produce incredible fruit.

Thought for the Day: When am I at my best?

Isaiah 61:1-4

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,  the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1

At times there seems to be confusion about the mission of the Church and what it is that followers of Jesus are called to be about in our world. We tend to overthink our doctrinal positions and obsess about rituals and liturgies, and, in the process, forget our core values. And this passage from Isaiah calls us back to basics. When Jesus had been anointed in baptism and filled with the Holy Spirit and then went into the wilderness to reflect on his mission, he adopted these words as his mission statement. He believed that he had been sent “to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.” If we’re the least bit interested in walking in the Way of Jesus we need look no further to find our marching orders. We have been gifted with a message of deep and profound grace, a healing proclamation from God designed to lift burdens of guilt and bring hope to the broken-hearted. The freedom that is implicit in the good news shatters every kind of bondage and opens the way to rich and fruitful living. And it’s our calling to share that message! Praise God for our incredible privilege!

Thought for the Day: How will I share the good news today?